


Our Family Wedding

by onlywordsnow



Series: Begin Again [2]
Category: Wynonna Earp (TV), wayhaught - Fandom
Genre: Established Relationship, F/F, Jeremy/Robin, christmas sequel, dolls/chrissy, julian/michelle, no supernatural, randy/nicole's mom, wedding au, wynonna/doc - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-04
Updated: 2020-09-02
Packaged: 2021-03-06 02:13:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 36,993
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25705681
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/onlywordsnow/pseuds/onlywordsnow
Summary: Everything is going great.  The happy couple is thriving in the city.  They are very in love.  And they are getting married.  Everything is perfect.  Just perfect.  But weddings aren't just about the couple getting married.  It's about their families coming together.
Relationships: Waverly Earp/Nicole Haught
Series: Begin Again [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1576714
Comments: 42
Kudos: 196





	1. The Proposal

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome back to this fun little sequel I've been working on for awhile. I'm attempting to write a little bit more comedy. Let me know how you like it and comment below.

Since returning home from Purgatory for the holidays, things have been great between them. Things were great before, but there had always been this little thing hanging over them that kept them at a distance from each other. Their conversations regarding their families had been surface level and Waverly almost never talked about the fact that Chrissy was her best friend.

Over time, Chrissy has moved on from the stage of anger in regards to processing their relationship and has moved on to pure joy about it. That’s certainly made things easier. The only thing that has managed to linger is Wynonna’s frustrations. It honestly hurts Waverly’s feelings to know that Wynonna and her are almost not even on speaking terms.

Their dads are getting along quite well. The original plan had been for Dolls to help Randy take the lights down off of the house once he got home from his deployment, but Julian had insisted that he didn’t mind. Besides, the face that Nicole used the hooks for the gutters had made it so much easier to take them down.

If her dad has any negative things to say about her relationship with Nicole, he was yet to say anything. In fact, Willa has said he and Randy have been taking extra efforts to hang out and that the town seems to be functioning better for it. On those times she talks to Willa on the phone, Stella begs to talk to Nicole and seems very disheartened when Nicole isn’t around to chat.

Their schedules have aligned with Nicole’s new promotion and Waverly is pretty glad that they’ve managed to air out the tension between them. Since asking Nicole’s parents for their blessing, she’s only felt more and more certain about her feelings to spend the rest of her life with Nicole. With Valentine’s day a few weeks away, Waverly has decided that’s the perfect time to pop the question.

She’s never really been a person who subscribes to the whole Valentine’s Day thing, but Nicole makes it easy to want to. All of her past relationships, the few she’s had, really were disasterous. Especially around that big L word holiday. Often times, whoever she was dating had managed to find some reason to break up with her right before and sway her to get back together right after.

Thankfully, Nicole has broken that toxic cycle. Ever since their first date, the one that Rosita tricked them into going, they’ve been on. They’ve communicated frequently and spent almost every day together, work permitting. Falling in love had been easy. Staying in love has been easier.

Nearly every day, at least once, Waverly has internally screamed, _I want to marry this woman!_

She feels so unbelievably happy with Nicole, with her job, with her life in the city, that every bit of her that was wavering just a year ago has become a pillar of certainty. Although she misses her family, misses her nieces and feels like she’s missing out on seeing those little girls grow up, she’s pretty sure this is where she’s supposed to be. She feels good, fulfilled and whole.

Then Nicole does things that could only possibly make Waverly love her more. Things like coming by the museum to bring her lunch and listen to her talk about ancient history with vigor. Over the course of the last month, Nicole has done a better job of picking up after herself without Waverly ever having to bring up needing to keep things tidier. In fact, Waverly nearly proposes on the spot the day that she comes home and Nicole has cleaned the house on her day off.

After a few weeks, she puts it as far into the back of her mind as she possibly can. She wants a proposal to be perfect, a story they can tell at their engagement party, a story they can tell their nieces and nephew then their children then their grandchildren. One that she will remember forever because the moment felt right and it’s a part of her.

So, instead, she goes on with her life and lives in the moment with Nicole.

_March_

It’s a little bit cold. The wind is picking up now that the sun has fallen beneath the horizon. It’s slipping into spring rather quickly, but the temperature still drops eagerly at night. Seeking warmth, the pulls her jacket tighter around her, but it doesn’t shield her bare legs from the wind. If only she had worn pants instead of a dress.

She climbs the steps, feeling guilty because she’s running late. She was supposed to meet Nicole here half an hour ago but she got caught up at the museum. The first time Nicole puts together a fundraiser for inner city youth and Waverly can’t even show up on time.

As she enters the building, shivering when the warmth touches her skin, she’s at least relieved that a good number of the police department is here to support her. They all agreed with her that it was important to give back to their community, the one who gives so much to them, but no one knew where to start. For weeks, Nicole has been picking Waverly’s brain about little things here and there to really make this night perfect.

There are games and a dance floor, something to appease everyone invited from the actual inner city youth to the police department to investors with fat wallets. Nicole has thought of everything. She tapped into the heartstrings of what it meant to be young and different, really the embodiment of nearly every successful person in this day and age with the rare exception here and there.

It takes nearly 10 minutes after arrival to find her girlfriend. She’s locked in a match of shooting baskets into a tiny hoop against a younger person. Waverly watches on, waiting as the seconds tick by until the match ends. When the score announces Nicole’s win, just as Waverly remembers her being a basketball star from the one year they overlapped at the high school, Waverly cheers loudly. It’s loud enough that Nicole turns around and Waverly immediately gives her a wink.

Nicole lightly blushes as the small crowd of youth members start pushing at her, teasing her for a girl flirting with her like she’s one of their friends. Waverly is filled with pride at the sight, knowing that Nicole has truly become a person that the youth in this particular community can trust. Despite the blush on her cheeks, Nicole slips through the crowd to properly tell Waverly hello.

Nicole’s hands instinctively find her hips and pulls her close. She leans forward and murmurs a, “Hey, baby.”

Their lips brush quickly. Waverly feels like she’s in high school again the way that a circle gathers around them. It feels a little claustrophobic, but it manages to make Nicole an even bigger hit with them. Her fingers grasp at Nicole’s shirt, the buttons of the blue thing not quite done up as they could be.

“Sorry I’m late,” Waverly replies, “My boss came in with some last minute questions and I couldn’t get away.”

“It’s ok,” Nicole says, smile sincere, “You’re here now. That’s what matters.”

“This looks great,” Waverly says, taking a quick look around before her gaze settles back on Nicole, “You look great.”

Nicole blushes again, her hands drifting towards Waverly’s backside. She watches as her girlfriend gets a nudge on the arm, a quick wink to follow. The person says, “Nice job, Officer Haught.”

Nicole rolls her eyes and turns slightly, guiding Waverly away from the crowd. She can still hear whispers from the younger people that Nicole had been entertaining and she absently wonders who they are, what their stories are. She wonders how much Nicole knows about them, what she might tell Waverly.

Throughout the night, they spend a little time together, but for the most part Nicole keeps being pulled away by the people which this gathering is for. The downside of throwing the event together means Nicole is the point person while Waverly is just a viewer, watching on every time someone whisks her girlfriend away. But even then, she feels nothing but pride for Nicole and to be the person beside this woman.

After nearly the 10th time, Nicole returns with her sincerest apologies.

“I’m so sorry,” she murmurs.

Their fingers brush and Waverly turns her palm, grasping into Nicole’s hand tightly. She smiles while turning to face Nicole, hand flattening against her girlfriend’s stomach. She says, “You’re very popular tonight.”

“Are you at least having a good time?” Nicole asks, worry spreading into her facial features.

“I’m happy to see you so happy,” Waverly replies. At this, Nicole smiles. She smiles with the gratitude she feels and Waverly can see it on her face. All she wants to do is show Nicole love and support like she’s never had from anyone else. She’s tried her best. She knows that Nicole has great parents, but she still wants to be the person that Nicole counts on. She says in a hush, “Hey, come ‘ere.”

Their fingers slide together easily and Nicole falls into step behind her like she trusts her implicitly. The irony is that Waverly doesn’t know where she’s going. All that she wants is to have a moment alone, to look deep into Nicole’s eyes and tell her that she loves her. It’s a moment, one that they have frequently and easily, but her heart is aching with pride and joy. That happens often with Nicole. Not once has she felt disappointment or embarrassment. Not even when she told their dad’s about them. Waverly has felt more embarrassed by herself than Nicole, that’s for sure.

The curtain to the photo booth is pushed open, so they step inside. Waverly slips in first but Nicole isn’t far behind. When Nicole closes the curtain, it feels more secluded and silent somehow. Even with everyone else just right outside. Breathing a sigh of relief and immediately sucking in a breath of fresh air, Waverly squeezes Nicole’s hand tighter. Their thighs press together and Waverly angles her body slightly to trace her fingers along Nicole’s jaw.

“You’re amazing, you know that?” Waverly murmurs.

“Thank you, baby,” Nicole says. She smiles widely and it means everything to Waverly to see that look on her face. Her body warms throughout at the sight. Her fingers trail down to Nicole’s hand already in hers, her left one, and she sweeps a line across her knuckle. “Let’s take a picture.”

Waverly has barely registered that she’s reached forward, tapping on the screen. Eyes filling with joyful tears, she lifts her gaze up to Nicole’s who is looking straight ahead. In the camera view, she must see Waverly’s face because she quickly looks at her with a sharp gaze.

“What’s wrong?” Nicole asks, confused as she pushes her thumb against Waverly’s chin to connect their gazes more firmly.

“I just,” Waverly starts but stops, sighing so deeply that her entire body shakes with the movement, “I love you so much.”

Nicole smiles softly. Her lips are curved ever so slightly upwards and they look warm and inviting. A flash indicates a picture being taken.

Waverly squeezes her hand again before curling their fingers together and lifting them slightly. She holds their clasped fingers against her ribcage. She says, “I never knew that I could love anybody this much.”

Nicole nods slowly in agreement. Her forehead drops to Waverly’s. Another flash occurs.

Waverly sighs and pulls back slightly, looking deep into Nicole’s confused eyes. Her brows are furrowed, lips slightly parted, and all she can do is feel her heart bursting in her chest. She smiles, asking, “Will you...marry me?”

Nicole’s face turns to shock and awe. The surprise brings hesitation, making Waverly’s stomach swirl with nerves. The camera flashes.

Staring at Nicole, searching her eyes for an answer, Waverly starts to drop her gaze to their entwined hands. Nicole catches her easily by cupping her cheek. She immediately leans forward, capturing Waverly’s lips in a hard kiss. The kiss deepens, Nicole’s hand slipping beneath her hair and circling the back of her neck. Waverly wraps her arms around Nicole’s waist, fingers pressing into her skin until their fronts are flush.

Another picture snaps, the flash highlighting behind her closed eye lids.

When they pull back, out of breath, Waverly says, “Is that a yes?”

“Yes,” Nicole replies with a chuckle, “Of course I’ll marry you!”

“Oh thank god,” falls out of her mouth as she drops her forehead to Nicole’s shoulder.

Her girlfriend, née, fiancée, laughs again as she wraps both arms around Waverly’s middle. Gentle hands run up her spine and she shivers, her heart beating hard against her ribcage. Despite the nervousness coursing through her, the actual question had come quite easily in the moment. After mulling over it for months, it’s finally come out between them.

Waverly can breathe easier.

💘

They grow closer over the months. They make decisions regarding their wedding quite easily and convey it to their mothers who insist on putting the entire thing together. They’ve agreed it’s easier to come home for the wedding than to have their families come to the city. They have a few friends meant to travel to Putgatory with them like Jeremy, Robin and Rosita. They are all part of the wedding party on either side.

Come their one year anniversary, Waverly was forced to admit that her original plan to propose had been ruined. Nicole had laughed at her and told her it was endearing. Not to mention that she thought their pictures from the photo booth were not only real, but very cute. They have the set framed in their living room.

Over the months, things between Waverly and Wynonna don’t necessarily get any better. Not even when Waverly asked her to be her maid of honor, much to mostly everyone else’s dismay. Nicole does her best to be supportive. She understands that the underlying reason for their tension is that Waverly didn’t tell Wynonna about them from the very beginning, but she can’t make them work things out. They had both hoped that the prospect of Wynonna being her maid of honor would make them talk.

It doesn’t. In part, they attribute it to the distance between them. Waverly goes home for a week over the summer, but when she comes back home she doesn’t have any good news to report. In fact, based on the way her face looked upon the return Nicole had been concerned that Wynonna rejected the request.

Otherwise, things are good.


	2. Something Old

_October_

Nicole feels a pair of hands settle on her hips before slowly sliding around her waistline. Waverly’s body shifts against her back as her fiancée pushes up on her toes, lightly kissing her shoulder. She pauses in her task, pulling her hands out of her bag and placing them over Waverly’s. She sweeps her thumb over Waverly’s knuckle.

“You all packed, baby?” She murmurs, slipping her fingers between Waverly’s. Neither of them are wearing rings, not right now, but in just a few days that’s all going to change. She feels Waverly’s chin against her shoulder.

“All packed,” Waverly replies, “Finished before you got home.”

“Of course you did,” Nicole teases, “You could have packed for me while you were at it.”

“Is that what being a wife is?” Waverly asks. Nicole chuckles quietly before pulling Waverly’s hands away. Turning in her arms, she faces Waverly and grins. It must look something a bit cocky because Waverly’s gaze tightens on her. “Are you about to answer yes? Because I swear to god, Nicole-“

Nicole cuts her off with a chaste kiss and a light shake of her head. She wraps her arms around Waverly’s shoulders and pulls her forward, keeping her close. Nicole says, “That isn’t what I was going to say.”

“Then why’d you get that mischievous look on your face?” Waverly says.

“Because you said wife,” Nicole replies, swaying her hips slightly as she inches forward. She’s known it’s coming, but there’s something about the way that the word is rolling off of their tongues so much easier now that makes her belly tighten with anticipation. It’s the good kind, the kind that makes her heart swell too. “And I’m super excited that the day I can call you my wife is almost here.”

Waverly caves easily, leaning forward and into Nicole’s chest. She wraps her arms around Waverly and holds her in a tight hug, a grin splitting her face. She’s been really good about not letting herself get too excited, but she is. Beneath the surface she’s been like a bundle of nerves fraying from the cord and flying in the wind, threatening to touch everything in sight and share her joyous electricity. Her coworkers have accused her as being in an annoyingly good mood. Which, she’s always in a fairly good mood, but recently she’s been practically singing all of the words that come out of her mouth. It’s made it really difficult to play bad cop in interrogations.

“Just a few more days,” Waverly murmurs.

The moment feels sickeningly sweet as she melts beneath Waverly’s gaze. Her eyes are hooded, blazing with desire and love. Her lips are puffy as they look luscious and inviting. The world around them feels nonexistent, the air light and meaningless as though their life could be sustainable on each other alone.

Nicole grins and leans down, gently pressing her lips to Waverly’s. As her tongue sweeps over Waverly’s bottom lip, giving in to the need to feel her closer, there’s a knock at the door. The world zooms back in and she’s no longer floating in the clouds with Waverly in her arms. With a disappointed huff she pulls back, the ghost of the kiss lingering on the shell of her lips.

“That’s probably Rosie,” Waverly says.

Rosita Bustillos is Nicole’s friend from work and Waverly’s friend from college. They’ve all grown much closer since they started dating, their friendship with Rosita having grown much closer once she tricked them into going on their first date. It was a good date. Rosita did good.

“You get that, I’ll finish packing,” Nicole says, still vibrating with disappointment. Waverly turns on her heel, all bundled up in a sweatshirt of Nicole’s from the police department like it’s freezing in here. As she steps away, Nicole gently pats her on the ass which earns her a look before she’s alone in the bedroom. She takes a quick look around the room. She says to herself, “Our last night in this room before we’re married.”

She braces herself for the return to Purgatory. Rosita is flying with them, but Jeremy and Robin are coming later. They can only make it out on Thursday afternoon while Rosita worked her magic to get an extra day off. Nicole would guess it has something to do with the fact that she hasn’t taken a vacation in the 3 years she’s worked there. Still, it’ll be nice to have someone there she can distract their families with. They really like asking a lot of questions, but hopefully they won’t be pointed at her and Waverly.

As she continues stuffing her bag with changes of clothes for a few days, ones she will have to wash for their really quick 3 day honeymoon, she hears Waverly and Rosita in the living room. She can’t make out what they’re saying but she hears some laughter. It encourages her to finish packing much faster so that she can join them for a bit before going to bed for their early flight.

When they fly back into Purgatory, Nicole’s dad is going to be picking them up at the airport. Since Chrissy’s fiancé has returned from his deployment, they’ve moved into their 2 bedroom apartment which frees up Chrissy’s bedroom for Rosita to stay at the house. It took a lot of convincing at first. Rosita hadn’t wanted to impose. But the wedding is going to be at the new lavish, Gardner hotel just outside of town. It’s built on the old Gardner land and is a bit of a hotspot for town events. It almost is something to marvel at.

The decision to stay with Nicole’s parents did not come lightly. They had spent many nights discussing it. Nicole certainly hadn’t wanted to take Waverly away from her family, but there had been resistance due to the tension still nestled between her and Wynonna. Not to mention, Waverly has since visited while Nicole hasn’t been back for months.

Finally, she finishes packing and zips up her bag. She has a duffle she’s carrying on since Waverly had sneaked in a few items in her bag. She is considering the fact that they’re probably both over packing, considering their attire for the wedding is already in Purgatory waiting for them. Despite that, Nicole is really good at enabling Waverly to do whatever makes her happy. Within reason anyway. She is a cop after all.

Making her way out into the living room, she tries not to interrupt Waverly and Rosita. They’re in the kitchen where Waverly is pouring glasses of red wine as they chat about what’s been going on in their lives. Nicole is privy to Waverly’s going ons, but they haven’t had much time with Rosita. Sure, she’s seen her at work on occasion, but that hasn’t left much room for conversation.

“Work’s been really good,” Waverly concludes, “And, you know, we’ve been really good. Everything’s good.”

“Boring,” Rosita sounds off.

“Heyyyyy,” Waverly whines. Laughing, Nicole presses a kiss to her fiancées temple. She slips by and opens the refrigerator, searching for something to be a small snack before bed. They haven’t had time for dinner and her stomach is starting to growl. “One day you’ll find someone who makes your life not so boring.”

“Aw,” Nicole hums.

“So, are you guys excited?” Rosita asks.

Nicole finally spots something to eat, grabs the cheese and some fruits, and turns to put it into the counter. She closes the door behind her. She glances at Waverly and smiles. She catches the little crinkles around Waverly’s eyes and it settles into her chest that in just a few days this woman is going to be her wife.

“Pretty excited,” Waverly says:

“Super excited,” Nicole corrects.

“I bet everything will feel easier once the wedding is over,” Rosita says, taking a sip of her wine.

“Since our families really wanted us to have it in Purgatory, we were mostly just on the decision committee,” Waverly says.

“Our moms were the execution committee,” Nicole chimes in.

She grins at how easy this has all turned out to be. Occasional Skype calls with their moms, a fun group chat they all had, and side conversations she and Waverly had really made a good portion of their time be about the wedding. What she hasn’t admitted is that she’s a little afraid that once it’s over, they won’t have much left to talk about. They both have a lot of interests outside of the wedding, but this has been so pressing that they haven’t had much time to talk about them. Maybe that’s what they can do. Catch up on everything they missed with each other.

“And dads were the bank?” Rosita teases.

“Well,” Nicole says with a shrug, looking over at Waverly, “They both kind of pulled their weight with the favor cards, I think. The bill isn’t too high.”

“Are you sure you don’t mind staying with us at Nicole’s parents for a few days? We really don’t mind getting you a room at the hotel,” Waverly says.

“And miss out on your family shenanigans? Not a chance,” Rosita replies, laughing.

They congregate in the living room for a few hours before Waverly is yawning and practically falling asleep in the middle of conversation. They leave all of their dishes on the counter and Nicole prepares herself to do them before they leave for the airport. Waverly’s head barely hits the pillow before she’s asleep in no time, curled into Nicole’s side so easily while she stares at the ceiling in silence for half an hour.

💘

Upon their arrival, Waverly can’t help feeling a little sad. Her sister hasn’t acknowledged her texts about their arrival and it’s starting to eat away at her. Even though Wynonna has maid of honor duties, it truly doesn’t seem to be faring well for the communication between them. She’s silent the entire car ride from the airport to the Nedley house save for a few forced engagements here and there.

When the car parks, she looks across the street at the house forlornly like Wynonna will come tumbling out with open arms. Ironic that Waverly wishes that would happen, considering that’s never quite been Wynonna’s style. She’s lucky to get a hug hello or goodbye, even when coming or going on good terms.

She tries to cover the heavy-hearted feeling with a smile, but Nicole knows her well enough that she’s kind, attentive and patient enough to let Waverly come to her. Nicole carries her bag into the house, Randy trying to help. Waverly watches on as Nicole finally concedes, handing over her carryon bag for him to take into the house.

On the way to Nicole’s room, she points out Chrissy’s abandoned bedroom where Rosita will be sleeping. They watch their friend slip into the room before continuing to Nicole’s bedroom. When they enter, they notice that it hasn’t changed much, if at all. Waverly never really got a good look at Nicole’s room, not even all those years ago when she used to spend the night with Chrissy frequently. She always did her best to respect Nicole’s privacy even though she had moved away by then.

She can’t help laughing at the irony, even though she feels really down in the dumps right now.

“Hey,” Nicole says, voice a playful hum, “What’s so funny?”

“I’ve just never seen your room,” Waverly answers. She sets her bag down on the empty desk space and leans back against the edge, resting her weight against it. It wobbles a little, but seems to find its structure. She looks at her fiancée, eyes trailing down to that ring less hand and she can’t help huffing. She did give Nicole a ring, after all.

“We’ve literally had sex in here,” Nicole reminds her.

“But it was dark,” Waverly argues, “And it isn’t like I stuck around for long the next morning.”

“Well, take a look,” Nicole replies. Grinning wildly, Nicole takes a step towards her bed and sits down. She leans back on her arms, watching Waverly. Beneath her gaze, Waverly takes a quick glance around before her eyes settle on a decent sized poster of Keira Knightley. “What do you think?”

“To be inside of young Nicole’s head,” Waverly muses.

“Oh, trust me, there wasn’t a lot going on in there,” Nicole replies with a laugh, “Mostly just girls and sports.”

“So not much different from now?” Waverly teases. She leaves her spot at the center of the room to approach Nicole and, when she gets close enough, the woman outstretches her hand for Waverly to slip hers into. She does so, and the moment their hands touch Nicole is pulling her close and drawing her near.

She feels safe in Nicole’s embrace, hands softly sliding against her waist and wrapping her up. Often times she feels like she could crush her whenever she’s on her lap, but Nicole never complains. She usually insists that Waverly weighs nothing.

“Very different from now,” Nicole replies, “Now it’s all you and crime.”

“Mmhmm,” Waverly says. The moment trickles out and the fact that her and Wynonna still aren’t back where they were jumps to the forefront of her mind. She must zone out quietly because she feels Nicole’s hands tighten on her waist and bring her back to the moment. She shifts her gaze towards Nicole who has pulled her face back in concern, lips parted and eyebrows creased. “What?”

“You okay?” Nicole asks, using that soft voice that still manages to make the butterflies in her belly soar.

Honey brown eyes scan over her face, searching for something she’s sure. Usually, Waverly doesn’t have to tell Nicole what she’s thinking. All it typically takes is one look and she’s reading Waverly like an open book. Nicole lifts a hand and uses two fingers to sweep at the hair on her forehead.

Waverly shrugs absently, a pout forming on her face as she gets lost in thought again. She doesn’t really know how to answer Nicole’s question. She’s certainly been lingering in the feeling of her sister being absent for such a long time. It hurts, truthfully. Wynonna was her best friend until she shut her out completely. They had both said things and they had hurt each other, but all she wants is her sister’s support. Especially with the wedding being just a few days away. She really needs to have a conversation with her.

Waverly sighs and leans heavily against Nicole’s chest, resting her forehead into her fiancées neck. She reaches down and entwines their fingers, staring at them as she distracts herself by playing with them. She says, “I just feel...”

It’s silent for a moment. She doesn’t particularly know how long she doesn’t finish her thought or how long Nicole allows her to have the spotlight. They’ve discussed it numerous times over the last few months and Nicole is well aware about the hurt she feels in regards to her sister. Nicole has been nothing but supportive, despite having her own opinion about the issue she’s still always there for Waverly.

“We’re happy, right?” Waverly asks.

“ _I am_ ,” Nicole stresses, “And I like to think that if I’m making you unhappy in any way, shape or form that you would tell me.”

“I just don’t understand how Wynonna can’t be supportive,” Waverly says, “I love you. We’re good together. What’s her deal?”

“Baby, I don’t think any issues between you two really have anything to do with me,” Nicole replies softly, fingers squeezing hers, “Or to do with the two of us together. I think you just need to talk to her.”

“I tried,” Waverly says. She groans and throws herself back onto the bed. It creaks loudly, like a door hinge that needs replaced. Nicole grasps her tightly, making sure she doesn’t really fall off of the bed. “She didn’t want to talk to me.”

“Make her listen,” Nicole says, “You’re really good at arguing. I would know.”

Waverly can’t help laughing at the statement. She takes her free hand and slaps at Nicole’s shoulder, but her fiancée manages to dodge it. There’s a slight smile on Nicole’s face and it really makes Waverly feel a bit better about things. At least for now.

Before she can say anything else, they hear a pair of voices enter the house and carry throughout the quietness of it. Waverly would recognize the voices anywhere, sweet and melodic and powerful all at the same time. She moves swiftly, her abdominal muscles screaming as she sits up and stands easily. She reaches for Nicole’s hand and tugs her towards the door.

They make their way down the stairs to greet their mothers who smile at them, open their arms for hugs, and immediately get to talking about the wedding arrangements. Waverly sighs as she listens to them list off a few last minute things to handle, sitting beside Nicole and resting her hand on her knee. Nicole listens even more intently, the particular skill she has where she can make anyone feel important undoubtedly coming in handy.

After a good 15 minutes of conversation, Michelle asks if she would like to head across the street to look at her wedding dress. Waverly agrees, nerves beginning to grow at the prospect of seeing her sister when they aren’t on the best terms. Before they head that way, she grabs Rosita to join her.

💘

The house is relatively quiet until it isn’t. With Waverly and Rosita across the street, Nicole is pretty much left to her own devices in her parents’ house. Her mom doesn’t really discuss wedding stuff with her, for some reason. She figures besides what they had mentioned before, everything must be taken care of. It isn’t even that she doesn’t care about the wedding because she most definitely does. It’s just that she it isn’t technically her first one, even if she did get married by Elvis the first time. She hasn’t been adamant about much, outside of making sure the things Waverly really cares about actually happens.

Her mom does ask her about work, which is the same level of excitement as always. Not a lot going on, especially that she can talk about. She has become a little more immersed in the community since the even back in March, the one that gives her a warm and fuzzy feeling in her chest for more than one reason.

The truth is that she’s felt badly about developing more relationships in the city since they returned. She knows that her dad needs to retire from his post as sheriff but he doesn’t feel like he has the right hands to leave the town in. Despite caring about this town, mostly because her family is here and Waverly’s family is here, a small part of her hates the town. It doesn’t hold a lot of great memories. It’s the town her father abandoned them in, a newborn Devon too much for his PTSD. It’s the town that she ran far away from and almost never looked back. Even when she comes to town she only spends her time with a select few like her family.

She isn’t sure that she _wants_ to come back. Not only does it not have a place for Waverly to work, but it doesn’t really have room for them there. They are two people who outgrew the town, accomplished things the town can’t even imagine, and coming back before they’re ready is just not in the cards. Besides, the town isn’t too familiar with people like them. They’ve always been a bit of outcasts for many reasons, only reluctantly accepted because Sheriff Randy Nedley welcomed them with open arms.

The front door opens and she can hear her nephew from the kitchen making noise. He sounds like he’s yelling but adorably so, like to him it sounds like a song. Nicole feels excitement begin to bubble inside of her at the prospect of seeing Pearson without the kid constantly yelling.

“And then what happened?” Dolls asks.

Pearson keeps babbling on but the moment Nicole rounds the corner and they lock eyes he stops. He stares at her curiously like he’s trying to determine if she’s a good guy or a bad guy. In the silence, she glances at Dolls. He looks thicker somehow, meatier than before he was deployed. He’s wearing a t-shirt that barely contains his biceps and triceps and whatever other arm muscles she can’t remember at this time, a carefree green that matches his carefree grin.

“Hey,” she greets.

“Hey,” he responds. His smile doesn’t falter even a millimeter as he shifts his gaze to Pearson. His hand finds the little boy’s belly and tickles gently to bring him out of his revelry. His voice goes higher as he says, “Look who it is. It’s your Aunt Nicole.”

“Hey, buddy,” Nicole says softly, approaching with caution. The boy has beautiful toffee colored skin that Nicole thinks is a pretty mix between his parents. His hair is growing longer but turning into wild, dark curls that has a hint of Chrissy’s blonde undertones. “You’re getting so big.”

She extends a hand towards him but he remains suspicious. She’s unfamiliar and for a brief moment she wishes she lived closer so she could see him more often. She’s missing all of the good parts. The previous baby smell and the faltering innocence as he becomes braver and braver with age. Soon, he’ll be the bravest boy she’s ever met. Just like his daddy.

“Where’s my sister?” Nicole asks with a sigh, giving up and retracting her hand.

“Your bride texted to let her know they are trying on the dress,” Dolls answers, “So she hightailed it across the street the moment I put the car in park.”

“Figures,” Nicole says, “She loves trying on clothes.”

“Loves buying them, too,” Dolls says.

Still, he remains smiling. She can’t remember him ever smiling this much before his deployment. Fatherhood has changed him for the better. She just hopes that he can still be warm and loving to her sister or else she’ll have to figure out a way to be threatening to the man.

She follows him further into the house. In the living room there’s a playpen with toys scattered everywhere, a blanket placed haphazardly inside of it. Dolls sets Pearson down into it and he immediately stands to his feet, grasping onto the side and jumping as he screams. At least he isn’t crying anymore.

“There ya go, little man,” Dolls murmurs softly. Nicole watches as he ruffles Pearson’s hair before standing to his full height, body looking larger now somehow. The moment he turns his back, Pearson starts throwing a fit, the scream shifting into something much angrier than just for attention. They look at each other and he shrugs, saying, “Let him scream it out.”

Before Nicole can respond her mother comes barreling in, immediately sweeping Pearson into her arms and silencing his screams. He laughs openly and hugs her around the neck. Her mom blows a raspberry into his cheek and he laughs louder. A tinge of jealousy creeps up inside of her, wishing that her nephew had any sort of joy when he saw her. He certainly doesn’t remember her.

Maybe they should move back.

“Hello, my handsome boy,” her mother says, dropping more kisses on Pearson’s face, “Grandma loves you. Yes, she does.”

He laughs and tugs on her hair like he understands her.

“He seems happy,” Nicole comments. She looks at Dolls and sees he’s still smiling. “You seem happy.”

“Everyone is happy,” Dolls says with a shrug.

“Except your sister,” Lily adds, “But that’s just how Devon operates.”

“Why? What’s going on?” Nicole asks. Her entire body wracks with concern. She worries about Devon in a place like this, too small for her vibrant personality. On more than one occasion, Nicole has considered trying to convince her to come stay with her in the city, but something always comes up. Like the part where she fell in love and moved in with Waverly. “Is she ok?”

“Oh, she’s fine,” her mom says dismissively, “You know how she has a flare for the dramatics.”

Dolls gives her a look that tells her he wholeheartedly disagrees but it really isn’t his place to say anything. The thing about her and Dolls is that they can read each other quite well. Right from the beginning they knew how to talk without talking. She likes it that way. They’re both quiet except for with those they work at making it work, and nearly everything they say has some meaning behind it.

Off of his look, she makes a mental note to talk to Devon.

“Are you hungry?” Lily asks suddenly, veering the conversation in another direction, “I can make you a snack before dinner.”

“Oh, a snack before dinner?” Nicole baits teasingly, “I never thought I would live to see the day that my mother approved of snacks before dinner.”

“Hush,” her mother says, fighting a smile, “Besides, you’re too skinny.”

“I’m at a healthy weight,” Nicole corrects, “I eat every meal like it’s the last, my job just keeps me in shape.”

“That’ll do it,” Dolls agrees.

They share a look before Lily whisks Pearson off to the kitchen.

💘

Originally, she hadn’t thought she would be emotional but now, staring at her reflection in the floor length mirror with tears misting her eyes, she realizes that she had been very, very wrong. Her mother wore it. Even her eldest sister wore it. So, obviously, when she put it on she hadn’t expected to be hit with such a hard wave of emotion.

The unexpected gasp escapes her and she feels a warm, wet tear trickle down her cheek. She sees her mother in her features. Even though her parents never actually got married, she saw pictures from her mom’s wedding to Willa and Wynonna’s dad and she was beautiful. Besides, the dress has been in the Gibson family for many generations. Every Gibson woman has worn this dress when they said their vows.

She hears a sniffle behind her and she lifts her gaze in the mirror. Gaze meeting Rosita’s, she feels her chest tighten at the sight. Her smile is painted on perfectly but the corners of her eyes look a little misty.

“Don’t you dare,” Waverly musters, voice shaky, “If you cry then I’m going to cry.”

The words barely leave her mouth when Chrissy comes in to her old bedroom and gasps loudly. It echoes throughout the room as Chrissy lifts her hands to cover her mouth. Waverly turns to look at her, unable to bear seeing herself anymore without bursting into tears. She doesn’t know why it’s hitting her so hard, why all of her emotions are suddenly ready to come pouring out.

“Oh my god, Waves,” Chrissy says, voice muffled behind her hands before she pulls them away, “You look gorgeous!”

The tears trickle down her face easily. They’re a combination of happy ones and sad ones. Happy because she knows without a shadow of a doubt that Nicole is the person she wants to spend the rest of her life with. Sad because things with Wynonna still aren’t better. She doesn’t know what she can do to make it better.

Her legs feel weak and all of the energy pours out of her. She collapses into a fit of tears and her friends both rush to a side of her. It doesn’t feel right. Wynonna should be here. She should be the one holding her while she’s crying.

A hand runs down her back. The lace of the dress feels like it’s scratching at her skin. A few minutes after she’s managed to collect herself, Chrissy and Rosita help her too her feet. Together, the 3 of them make their way over to the mirror and they look at the reflection. Chrissy affectionately wraps her arms around Waverly’s shoulders and holds her close.

“You look like a mess,” Rosita says softly.

Waverly chuckles.

“Man, Haught better cry when she sees you in that thing or I’m gonna have to kick her ass,” Wynonna says.

Waverly snaps her gaze up from her reflection in the mirror and sees Wynonna leaning against the doorframe. She looks casual. Almost like there isn’t any tension between them. Waverly’s chest tightens and her resolve that she just gathered in the floor begins to fade.

“Wynonna,” Waverly whispers. Chrissy releases the hold on her, and Waverly’s pretty sure she feels herself swaying. She’s losing her balance. Or at least she feels like it. “Do you...do you like it?”

“It looks perfect for you,” Wynonna replies. The mirror reflects Wynonna moving into the room, dropping onto her old full size bed. It makes a loud noise like it pops up off of the box springs and lands on it again beneath her sister’s weight. Waverly cringes at the sound, but at least it isn’t a squeak. “Might have to take it in a little bit though.”

“We are not hemming this dress,” Waverly protests.

“You kind of look...” Wynonna trails off, dramatically sprawling across the bed and looking up at the ceiling, “You look a little bit like a hippie. All you need is a flower crown.”

She finally turns away from the mirror, facing her sister. Rosita and Chrissy have been rather quiet, casually creeping towards the door. She narrows her gaze at them quickly, letting them know that she notices they are moving towards the door. She almost laughs upon realizing that two of her friends who have never even met each other seem to be clinging to each other through the tension. Waverly has always considered herself to be very good at ignoring any underlying issues she might have with her sister, and Wynonna has never really been one to hold on to things. That’s what makes this so tough.

“Do you like the dress?” Waverly asks.

“It looks great on you,” Wynonna replies. Waverly watches as her sister pulls her phone out of her pocket and starts looking at it. She taps away furiously at her screen and Waverly releases a ragged breath as she sees her friends slipping out of the room out of the corner of her eye. “Haught will go nuts when she sees you.”

“I meant _your_ dress,” Waverly says. She really hammers the point home that she’s trying to get a response from her sister, that she’s striving for her attention. Waverly’s phone vibrates on her desk but she doesn’t even glance at it, just looks down at her hands and begs them to summon her some courage. “You never told me what you think?”

“Slutty,” Wynonna says, “Haught got any groomsman I can pick up in it?”

“What about John?” Waverly asks, everything inside of her screaming at how awkward and trying this all is.

“Broke up,” Wynonna answers with a shrug, “Looking for Alice a new daddy.”

Waverly huffs at this, frustration bubbling up inside of her. She can’t help herself as she charges towards her bed and yanks Wynonna’s phone out of her hand. She tosses it towards the pillows.

“Hey!” Wynonna whines.

“You can’t pay attention to me for two seconds?” Waverly asks with a stomp of her foot to the ground.

“Calm down, baby girl,” Wynonna huffs, sitting up onto her elbows.

“Calm down? Calm down?” Waverly growls, “I’ve been trying to talk to you for months and you have been ignoring me! I ask for your input about dresses and nothing. I ask about Alice and nothing. And now you tell me you’ve broken up with your boyfriend? Again?”

“Well, maybe I didn’t want to talk to you while you were on your high horse,” Wynonna counters.

“What does that mean?” Waverly asks, anger boiling just beneath the surface.

“It means relationship-Waverly really sucks!” Wynonna yells. She reaches for her phone and clasps it tightly, inching off of the bed and storming out of the bedroom.

Waverly, alone in her childhood bedroom, feels like she’s suffocating wearing the old wedding dress. She feels the tears clawing at her eyelids, begging to slip over the edge. Pulling at the zipper, she finally breaks the material free and sheds it off of her body. She throws the dress onto the bed and finds her clothes to put back on.

Without another word to anyone in the house, she rushes across the street and directly into Nicole’s arms where she knows she’s safe.

💘

Julian Adams is no hero.

He’s sat by in silence as his two youngest daughters, the two that despite their age gap have always been thick as thieves, as they actively don’t speak to each other. He doesn’t blame his precious little angel. Of course she’s always been the keeper of his heart because, how could she not be? She’s smart and kind and looks just like her mother. She truly is the best of both of them.

But, because she’s his flesh and blood, he tries to really stay out of any issues that she might have with either of his other daughters. He’s tried very hard to be a good father to them. He’s made efforts not to overstep unless he’s been invited and, at least he thinks, they’ve come around.

Usually, they go to their mother to be their mediator. He grew up with a little brother so his experience is a little different. The dynamics of women are different enough, especially when you throw in siblings and age differences and whatever else is going on between them. He’s never understood it, and he certainly doesn’t understand this. They’ve never fought for this long and he can see that it’s taking a real role on his daughters.

Contrary to what Wynonna may believe, she’s self-destructing.

Not too long after Waverly returned home with her girlfriend, Wynonna managed to break up with John. He works with the guy, has seen him moping around despite insisting that they’re both free spirits, line wolves who just can’t make it work. At one point he even said neither of them want to make it work. Despite that, Julian has had to listen to both of them go on and on about how they’re better off alone.

He’s always taken the side of his daughter but never truly understood why they broke up in the first place. It isn’t his business, not really. All that really matters is that it’s what they both want and that his granddaughter is happy.

He parks his truck in the driveway and heads inside of the house. He’s been distracted all day. Distracted with the prospect of seeing his daughter. Thankfully, Purgatory is mostly slow these days.

Stepping into his house is a bit of a shock. It’s quiet. Painfully so. Alice isn’t here. She’s with John wherever he’s staying. She should be back later tonight. His family should all be together again and it’s pretty much all he can think about, with his youngest daughter coming home for her wedding.

Her happiness means everything to him. He knows she didn’t want for her wedding to be a big town event, but how could it not be when the Chief of the Fire Department’s and the Sheriff’s daughters are getting married? It’s the biggest even this town has ever seen. And they don’t even live here anymore. Sure, he hopes that one day they will move back and buy a house and start their life here, but he knows this town has nothing to offer his own daughter. She’s too smart to be trapped in a place like this.

No matter how much he would love for her to come back home, he would much rather her be out in the world living her life.

As he enters the house he sucks in a deep breath. It smells like fresh cookies. When he had first met Michelle it had not been under the best of circumstances. She had just lost her husband in a house fire, one that his guys hadn’t been able to put out. They had tried and tried and tried, but Ward Earp had been drunk and passed out in that old house. It was basically destroyed by the time they arrived because it was so far out of town. Michelle had split from the man, told him that she would come back when his drinking was under control. She had moved with her two little girls, ages 5 and 7, into her sister’s house.

He had routinely checked in on her until her smile started to return. Within a few short months she was asking him on a date. Even though he knew by then that he cared deeply for her, he had told her no. He didn’t want to make things more confusing or difficult for her daughters.

Quickly, they had grown to love and, just as quickly, Waverly came to be.

It had been easy for them to all be a family. He loved them all the same even though Waverly has his heart. He watched her grow up from this tiny bundle of joy into this strong, powerful ray of sunshine.

He certainly hadn’t expected Michelle to be a home maker by any means, but she’s been able to provide them all a comfortable life. She bakes cookies. She’s a great mother. She’s an amazing grandmother. And an even better life partner.

He follows the smell into the kitchen where he finds Michelle stirring a pot over the stove. He smiles as he watches her, everything in his heart erupting. Closing the gap between them, he slips his arms around her waist and pulls her to his chest.

Placing a kiss against her temple, he says, “Hello, Love.”

“Didn’t hear you come in,” Michelle murmurs, “How was work?”

“Slow, but that’s always a good thing,” he answers. They stand there quietly, absently swaying in each other’s space. They fit together with practice ease. His muscles engulf her but protects her. He would like to think he’s still in shape. It’s then that his kind drifts off to his daughter who he worries about. He tries not to but he can’t help it. She is his pride and joy, all of their pride and joy. He just wants her to be safe. “Is Waverly here?”

“She is,” Michelle says slowly, a tone that encases heartbreak. He takes in a deep breath, the smell of pumpkin hitting his nostrils. He knows all she has for him is bad news. “She and Wynonna got into an argument and she ran back across the street.”

Julian sighs, knowing he needs to squash this. If he can make it work with Randy Nedley for his daughter, Wynonna can put an end to this with Waverly. He’s never known them to argue for long. Wynonna isn’t one to argue anyway. She likes to avoid conflict and pretend like it never existed in the first place.

“What are we going to do?” Julian asks.

“I tried talking to them. It’s your turn,” Michelle says.

With a nod, he detaches himself and goes on the hunt for his middle daughter.

💘

Surrounded by her friends and fiancée, Waverly revels in her negative feelings. Although she’s managed to push down the tears, her frustration is still on the surface. At least they have a little bit of time to spend with their nephew.

Pearson is freshly awake from his nap and, after he got all of his crying out of the way, has been extremely pleasant. For even just a moment, Waverly felt a little less alone in knowing she wasn’t the only person with something to cry about.

Being distracted with a baby is proving to be efficient.

But being distracted watching her fiancée with a baby is proving to be even more efficient. Something that Waverly appreciates is how good with children Nicole is. She’s seen it in action with her own nieces instantly falling in love with the redhead. Seeing her as she interacts with Pearson, his laughter echoing throughout the entire house and filling the empty spaces with joy, definitely makes Waverly’s heart skip a beat.

For nearly the millionth time, she feels lucky to be marrying this woman. When she was younger, Waverly had imagined her wedding day and had always been open to the possibility that she could be married to anyone. Now, there isn’t a single other person she could imagine committing to.

Chrissy and Xavier went home to change, leaving Pearson in the care of the rest of the baby’s family. Surprisingly, Lily has allowed them some time to spend with their nephew. Devon and Rosita have both disappeared upstairs to get ready for their big family dinner with both of their families. For a moment, Waverly gets sucked back into that idea. It seems stupid now, having everyone get together for dinner at a restaurant, especially because things with Wynonna are still strained.

Pearson grabs on tightly to Nicole’s hair and pulls, prompting a huff from her mouth. She masks it quickly with a smile. As the surprise fades away, they make eye contact and Nicole immediately gestures for her to come over. Waverly leaves her spot and closes the distance between them, leaning down to press a kiss to Pearson’s cheek as Nicole lifts him in the air.

He giggles in response. It’s actual joy to Waverly’s ears. For a moment, Waverly can’t help thinking about their life together and how they could raise a good child together. She thinks about all of the ways they agree on morals and how they just want each other to be happy, how they want to give a child a happy life.

“I can’t wait to have this with you,” Waverly whispers into Nicole’s ear.

The redhead laughs lightly and wraps an arm around Waverly’s middle, careful to brace the baby.

“But let’s not rush it,” Nicole says.

“No,” Waverly agrees, sliding her hand along Nicole’s shoulders, “I want you all to myself just a little while longer.”

“No worries there,” Nicole replies with a smirk.

Before Waverly can manage to melt in response, Pearson is leaning against the coffee table and taking a step. She taps Nicole’s opposite shoulder and points at the little boy. Together, they watch him take another step and another until he lets go of the piece of furniture and runs towards them.

He throws himself into their arms, laughter pressing against her skin. It manages to help her forget all of the problems between her and Wynonna. For a little while, anyway.

💘

So far, dinner has been pretty tense. Wynonna and Waverly are avoiding eye contact with each other. John isn’t really looking at anyone in the eye. And Waverly’s dad’s jaw looks tight, really tight. Nicole is truthfully almost afraid to say anything at all in fear that she will receive the beating of a lifetime.

The truth is that she hasn’t spent a lot of time with Waverly’s family. She hasn’t seen anyone since Christmas last year and, boy, do things look like they’ve imploded. She’s been watching, quietly, observing, and everyone seems like they’ve been through it.

Of course, it didn’t help when Waverly came back from her parents’ house crying into her chest and grasping onto her for dear life. Nicole has simply wrapped her arms around Waverly but she can tell that it didn’t end up doing much good. Not to mention, poor Rosita being a witness to all of this stuff that Nicole wouldn’t even know where to start to explain.

Nicole sighs heavily and reaches under the table to touch Waverly’s thigh. Her fiancée startles, looking over at Nicole like she broke her train of thought. It wouldn’t take an expert to deduce just how heavily everything is weighing on her.

Of course there is a little chatter going on around the table. Lily is asking Rosita very casual questions and engaging in polite conversation. Her dad and Julian are managing a conversation at the end of the table. Willa and Chrissy seem to be having a decent time. Meanwhile, Dolls and Wynonna seem to be hitting it off.

The dinner doesn’t seem to be all bad, but it doesn’t help that both of their families are crammed into the little room the biggest restaurant in town has to offer. It’s stuffy, but at least the breadsticks are tasty. Definitely a good thing considering it’s the name of the restaurant. She leans into Waverly until their shoulders touch. She can’t help staring, eyes tracing the contours of her fiancées face. Nicole counts the freckles she can see littering Waverly’s nose.

“Hey,” she whispers, tapping her fingers against Waverly’s thigh, “Come get a drink with me.”

“Now?” Waverly asks, confused.

“Yeah,” Nicole replies.

She pushes her chair back and stands up, helping Waverly move her own chair back instinctively. When the brunette is standing, she makes eye contact with her dad and gives him a small nod as she reaches for Waverly’s hand. Easily, she entwines their fingers together as they walk out of the private dining room. Nicole doesn’t bother looking behind them, doesn’t want to find any reason to hesitate. They haven’t much had a second alone since Waverly stopped crying, and it’s clear that she isn’t feeling any better.

They find the small little bar in the restaurant. It’s mostly abandoned save for a red headed woman who looks vaguely familiar, but Nicole doesn’t care to focus on her. Most people prefer to go to Shorty’s for a drink which is good for Waverly’s family since they are partial owners. Deciding to go right for it, she gestured to the man behind the counter decked out in a tie for 2 glasses of red wine.

“You seem on edge,” Nicole says softly, careful not to accuse.

“I’m not,” Waverly says, voice hollow.

“Baby,” Nicole hums softly, turning her body more towards Waverly and look down at her, “You flinched when I touched you. You’ve never done that before.”

“I’m just...” Waverly starts. Nicole watches all of the energy drain from her face as she leans forward. Instinctively, she circles her arms around Waverly’s shoulders and holds her. Hands smooth along her back, fingers sticking against the soft, exposed skin of her shoulders. “I just want to be happy.”

“I know, baby,” Nicole murmurs. The man sets down two glasses in front of them but doesn’t linger, giving them some sense of privacy. When she hears Waverly sniffle, her heart drops into her stomach. “What happened?”

“Everything is awful,” Waverly mumbles. Slowly, she pulls back and tilts her chin upward. She looks at Nicole through her lashes, slow and purposeful blinks like she’s trying to keep all of her emotions at bay. Nicole keeps herself from feeling insecure despite them bubbling up to react to Waverly’s words. It isn’t about her. The feelings aren’t about her.

“I love you,” Nicole says softly, like it’s a band aid for the feelings, “I can’t wait to marry you.”

“I love you,” Waverly volleys back, pulling her hands around to Nicole’s ribcage and running her thumbs along them, “I’m sorry I’m being a drag.”

“Talk to me, baby,” Nicole replies, “That’s what I’m here for.”

“Things with Wynonna seem to be getting worse,” Waverly finally admits.

“She’s happy for you,” Nicole says.

“I don’t know that she is,” Waverly says with a huff, “She says she hates when I’m in a relationship.”

“Honey,” Nicole murmurs, chuckle tumbling out against her will as she rubs her hands up and down Waverly’s arms, “She still doesn’t know us as a couple. It’s the downside of us living so far away.”

“She just sounded so...like she hates that I’m even with someone,” Waverly says. Her voice sounds sad again, the anger that was rising quickly gone. It makes Nicole still her hands against Waverly’s arms. When Waverly releases a languid breath, Nicole lifts her right hand and sweeps her fingers through Waverly’s gorgeous curls to get a better look at her face. “I want to talk to her, but she just doesn’t want to listen to me.”

Nicole sighs and says, “You know what I think?”

“What?” Waverly asks.

“I think that every person that came before me was an absolute jerk to you and she knows that. They didn’t give you room to grow. She’s just scared that you’re going to tailor yourself to be the person you think I want you to be,” Nicole says, “But I could never ask you to be anyone other than who you are. You’re extraordinary, Waves. And I can’t wait to see you do even greater things.”

“Ugh,” Waverly groans, moving her hands up to Nicole’s neck and looping them around her shoulders, “How do you always know just the right thing to say?”

“Because the last thing that I ever want to do is keep your light from shining,” Nicole replies.

Warmth spreads throughout her chest as she sees Waverly smile for the first time since going to try on her dress. It stretches all of the way to her fingertips when her fiancées short nails scratch at the back of her neck and pulls her close. Their lips touch gently, a promise to their future together. It’s fleeting, but it lingers all the same.

“You ready?” Nicole asks softly.

“I think so,” Waverly confirms.

Nicole gives her a soft smile before grabbing both glasses of wine. She turns back to the room their families are seated in and feels Waverly reach out to loop her fingers into a belt loop. When they return, they receive a few small smiles of acknowledgment but no one really calls much attention to it. The night glides through much better, and Nicole is glad to see such a beautiful smile return to Waverly’s face.


	3. Something New

The night had ended somewhat smoothly. They were all pretty exhausted from traveling so they went to bed early. Rosita includes. Nicole felt a little down about not getting to talk to Devon pretty much at all, but after the day they’ve had she let Waverly coax her to sleep. They hadn’t really talked much either. Waverly was feeling, _is_ still feeling, the residual aftermath of her seemingly endless fights with Wynonna. It’s clearly weighing heavily on her and all Nicole can really do is remain available to her.

Even whenever she wakes up with Waverly’s hand pressed against her stomach and breathing softly against her throat she feels useless. Ideally, they would jump headfirst into their marriage without any worries surrounding them, pure happiness filling them up. What she had forgotten, or perhaps never entirely realized, is that their families are actually entirely insane.

When Waverly slinks off to the bathroom to take a shower, Nicole gives her a smile. Showers usually help Waverly’s mood, washing away any negativity and starting her day fresh. It’s really difficult to see her stuck in such a negative rut because it’s just so rare.

With a sigh, Nicole reaches over to the nightstand for her phone. There aren’t a lot of missed notifications. A text from Jeremy letting her know that they’re all set for the flight in tomorrow, double checking that he and Robin don’t need to grab anything before they leave. With all of their close friends coming to Purgatory for the wedding, they had to ask a neighbor to check on their cat. They have a timed feeder so she will be fed at the same time every day and she has rule of the house. Otherwise, she isn’t aware that they left anything. She safely packed the rings away into her carry on.

She types out a response and taps her way into the news app on her phone. Scrolling and scrolling to busy her moment alone, still laying in the bed she grew up sleeping in with Waverly’s side going cold. She at least finds reprieve from the frustration of general news in the sports section. Maybe Waverly had been right. She still thinks about sports quite often.

Suddenly, there’s a knock on the door. She furrows her eyebrows while she finishes her sentence, pausing in the article. She says, “Come in!”

The door opens and Devon leans against the doorframe. Nicole takes in her appearance. Noting the way her blonde hair looks lavishly curly and she’s clearly still in her pajamas. There’s a thick pair of bags under her eyes and Nicole really feels for her.

“Hey,” Devon greets, voice laden with sleep, “Where’s Waverly?”

“Taking a shower,” Nicole answers. For a moment, Nicole thinks about what her mom had said. She’s indicated that Devon isn’t happy and just wrote it off to her flare for the dramatics. The comment had upset Nicole a little bit, but she wasn’t about to start a fight with her mom after just getting here. “Come on.”

Nicole reaches over and peels the blankets on the other side of the bed back. She gives Devon an encouraging smile, attempting to coax her to fully enter the bedroom. When they were kids, Nicole had been all about her privacy. Any time her sisters had come in it had resulted in an argument. She had a lot to figure out back then, when she was 16 and they were 11 and 12. That was before. Before she discovered being more open about herself would be accepted, would actually be helpful in those around her being more open about themselves, too. Sadly, she had moved out by then, but it still somehow made her and Devon closer anyway.

“Did you guys...” Devon asks, face contorting with premature disgust.

“Oh my god,” Nicole groans, “No, we didn’t. Hurry up, weirdo.”

Devon holds up her hands innocently as she makes her way over, sliding in beneath the blankets and taking them from Nicole. She takes the opportunity to lock her phone and deposit it onto the nightstand, worry coursing through her veins at Devon being so quiet. She’s always worried when Devon is quiet. She’s always been loud and opinionated. Not in a bad way, but in a fearless way. Sometimes Nicole thinks they’ve inspired each other.

“You’re getting married,” Devon says, “Again.”

Devon sighs loud enough that Nicole looks over at her. She studies her face, trying to gauge what’s going on, but Nicole remembers that when it comes to people she cares about it’s best not to use police tactics and just make herself available to listen. Pursing here lips tightly together, she looks away and stares up at the ceiling. The fan blades move quickly and she can’t even make out the shape of it.

“Is that a bad thing?” Nicole asks.

“No,” Devon says. Her voice sounds almost shy and Nicole looks over at her again. They make eye contact and it prompts Devon to turn away, moving onto her side so she doesn’t have to look at her sister. “You should be married. You’re like...the best person.”

“Hey,” Nicole says softly. She moves to the middle of the mattress and turns to face her sister, the long blonde hair tickling her face. Wrapping her arm around Devon, she blindly searches for her hand and, when she finds it, she feels her sisters body shake with silent tears. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Devon answers all too quickly, but the words barely settle before she adds, “Everything.”

“Did something happen?” Nicole says.

“Just Champ Hardy being a jerk,” Devon says. She shrugs absently but wiggles her fingers between Nicole’s. It’s like she’s seeking some form of comfort.

“He’s always been a jerk,” Nicole replies.

“He’s been nice to me lately,” Devon says, quiet like she thinks Nicole will disappear if she’s any louder, “I guess I kind of thought he was maybe even, I don’t know, flirting with me or something.”

“You can do better than that guy,” Nicole says. Devon huffs like she’s annoyed or frustrated. Instantly, she’s aware that she said the wrong thing. She feels bad, like she’s made a snap judgement when she doesn’t have any right to do so. “I’m just saying he’s a jerk. Everybody knows that he’s a jerk.”

“I just want to find someone,” Devon says, “I want someone to see me for who I am.”

“I do,” Nicole hums.

“But no one else here does,” Devon replies. She tugs on Nicole’s arm tighter, holding her closer like she’s begging for a lifeline. Nicole squeezes back, letting Devon know that she’s still there. “Do you think anyone else will ever see me?”

“I think anyone who gets to love you is lucky,” Nicole answers, “And Champ Hardy is an idiot. You deserve better. Someone who is always nice to you.”

“Maybe that’s too much to ask for,” Devon says with a huff.

Nicole doesn’t say anything, too overwhelmed with a sadness that Devon could think such a thing. Still, she doesn’t let go. She doesn’t want her sister to settle for anyone who wouldn’t be there for her, especially when Nicole can’t. All she wants for Devon is for her to feel love like Nicole has.

“I don’t think expecting kindness is too much,” Nicole finally says.

The room is silent for a moment. Nicole’s pretty sure she can hear Devon crying, can feel her body bending as the tears fall. Before she can manage anything else, Waverly returns to the bedroom. Nicole hears her before she sees her and, as she lifts her gaze to her soon to be wife, she watches the concern take over her face. Waverly bends down and brushes the hair back from Devon’s face. Nicole’s heart swells with love at the action.

“It’s ok,” Waverly hums, “You’re ok.”

Together, the 3 of them make it through the tears.

💘

Her mother’s voice carries across the vast open field as they approach the church. It’s tiny, barely large enough to fit a congregation more than 20. Waverly remembers coming to this place once or twice when she was little, but they’ve never really been religious people.

The pastor, Juan Carlo, meets them outside of the church with a very large smile. Her father being old, old friends with the man makes it a familiar smile. Even though they’ve never really been religious people, the pastor has always been nothing but kind and supportive towards them. He’s never pressured them to attend Sunday service and he’s always been there when they needed him. Which, thankfully, hasn’t been much.

“Julian,” Pastor Juan Carlo greets, “Michelle. It’s good to see you both.”

“You too,” her father replies, singer and genuine, “I want you to meet Nicole.”

Waverly watches on as her fiancée steps forward, extending her hand to the pastor. They hadn’t discussed much whether they wanted to marry in the church or not. She doesn’t really know how Nicole feels about an actual pastor officiating their wedding. Robin has offered to get ordained, but ultimately their parents deemed that wasn’t necessary.

She watches Pastor Juan Carlo carefully, gauging his reaction to their upcoming nuptials. How does he feel officiating a wedding between 2 women? The church looks very old school, not much room for millennials at all. There’s a new church closer to town, one which she’s never been, but she’s been told by friends that they can be judgmental. She knows that because those friends were really judgmental about her coming out. They’re not much her friends anymore.

Meanwhile, Nicole’s family has never really been religious. They attend the big church in town on the major holidays - Easter, sometimes Christmas. But they aren’t big on _God’s love_ and a higher power. Nicole’s relationship with religion has always been somewhat complicated. Waverly, on the other hand, has never completely written off the idea of a higher power. She’s read the Bible, studied the times. It’s in her nature to do research so she’s very familiar with all sorts of religions. But she’s never really been forced to confront any of it.

“Nice to meet you,” Nicole says with that charming smile of hers. Waverly holds her breath, still studying Pastor Juan Carlo. He smiles as he slides his hand into hers. It’s a bit of a relief to see.

As they make their way into the church, Waverly’s mind drifts to Devon. Her heart aches thinking of her, of how much harder everything is for her. Even with her family being supportive it still isn’t easy. Especially not in a town like this. She feels the tears coming, gathering in her eyes. She blinks to clear her blurred vision and a tear slips down her face.

“Hey,” Nicole says softly, bringing her out of her head, “You ok?”

Nicole’s gaze bores into her, hand closing around her bicep. The comfort is warm and soft. Waverly nods slowly and says, “Yeah. I’m fine.”

She can tell by the look on Nicole’s face that she doesn’t believe her, but she’s letting it go for now. Her hand slides down Waverly’s arm and entwines their fingers together. The action makes Waverly smile, all of the heaviness on her shoulders and in her veins fading away.

They advance further into the church and a joke about not bursting into flames sits on the tip of her tongue. She sits in the pew next to Lily, behind her own parents and Pastor Juan Carlo. She doesn’t know how she feels about this. Her body begins to feel warm with anxiety and she peels her sweaty hand out of Nicole’s.

“This is a bad idea,” Waverly says. Her own voice feels far away. Even though she’s pretty sure her volume had been quiet, her voice still echoes in the small space. The room is so quiet and still that she begins to shrink into herself.

“What?” Michelle asks.

She lifts her gaze to her mother and rapidly shakes her head. She should have spoken up sooner. Nicole’s hand finds her knee as she moves in the pew to give her all of her attention. Looking around the room, she realizes all 6 pairs of eyes are on her.

“We’re not religious people,” Waverly says, “We shouldn’t be getting married by a priest.”

“Waverly,” Pastor Juan Carlo interjects, “I’m not here because of religion.”

“Then why?” She asks.

“If you want someone else to officiate then we’ll find someone else,” Nicole says.

“Honey,” her mother starts, “It’s too late.”

“No it isn’t,” Nicole says quickly, “If this isn’t what you want, then let’s make what you want happen.”

“I just,” Waverly sighs loudly, frustration pouring out of her, “I want someone who has the same views as us. That believe people like you and me and your sister deserve a family, deserve to be happy.”

“Of course you do,” her father jumps in. Nicole reaches for her hand again, pulling it close to her chest and ignoring the slick sweat on her palm. She looks from Nicole to her father to Pastor Juan Carlo and back at Nicole.

“I just can’t stop thinking about how we don’t fit in,” Waverly admits, “And I want to fit in at my own wedding. Don’t you?”

“Yeah,” Nicole says, giving her a small and reassuring smile, “I do.”

“Let’s ask Robin to officiate when he gets here,” Waverly says.

“Ok,” Nicole says, smile widening, “Looks like we’ve got work to do.”

Lily and Randy head outside first but the betrothed couple is not far behind. Her parents stay behind in the church to speak with Pastor Juan Carlo. As she leaves, she sees the disappointment on her mother’s face. She feels a little bad at the swerve in plans, like she should have just kept her mouth shut about her own wedding.

“We can ask him tonight,” Nicole says once they’re outside.

Waverly sucks in a deep breath of fresh air. She felt like she couldn’t breathe inside of that church, it was suffocating her. Maybe she doesn’t belong in a church. Or in this town.

“I hate it here,” Waverly finds herself saying.

“We’re about to leave,” Nicole says.

Waverly chances a glance at Randy and Lily. They’re standing near their SUV, waiting until it’s time to leave. They seem fairly carefree, indifferent about Waverly’s call. It’s much better than being a disappointment. She swallows thickly and shakes her head.

“I hate this town,” Waverly says quietly. It’s a harsh whisper, like she doesn’t want Nicole’s parents to overhear. Nicole’s eyes widen in surprise, a little taken aback by the announcement. “There’s no room here for people like us.”

“Waverly,” Nicole says softly. She feels Nicole take her hands in her own and squeeze tightly to get her attention. “What’s going on?”

“Do you think we could have a future here?” Waverly asks, gaze narrowing.

“I don’t know, baby,” Nicole says softly, “I think it’s something we will talk about eventually. What’s this about?”

“I want Devon to be happy,” Waverly says.

“I want that too,” Nicole agrees.

💘

Waiting for her daughter to get out of school is no easy task. On the list of things she hates, waking up early has always, always, always been on it, and these morning shifts are absolutely killing her. But, ever since her and John decided to take a break, it’s what she has to do. Especially with her mom taking this week off to help her precious little girl prepare for her wedding.

It isn’t that she’s upset Waverly is getting married...

Well, maybe she’s a little upset. She’s upset because she doesn’t know anything about Haught. Still. She knows the Haught in high school who used to flirt with girls and make all of the baskets, the one who was nice enough but used to steal her cigarettes at parties. She knows the Haught who was a teenage rebel and got away with it because all of the focus was on her little siblings.

But she doesn’t know the Nicole that whenever she saw them together that one time her baby sister got that far away look in her eye while smiling sheepishly. She had looked so in love but, most importantly, so freaking happy. And maybe Wynonna freakin Augusta Earp was a little jealous about the fact that Waverly was so happy out of this podunk town. And maybe she was a little sad that her little sister, the one who always needed her, really doesn’t need her anymore.

She eases the truck forward in the pickup line. When she brings it to a stop, Samantha _Perky Tits_ Baker gives her a smile. It’s that same, stupid, judgmental smile she used to always give Wynonna in high school. She doesn’t understand the scrutiny she got in high school. Sure, she was a little rough around the edges and a no bullshit kind of person but that didn’t make anyone else any better than her. Maybe her daddy died in a fire when she was a kid but Julian’s a good guy. He’s always been the best to them.

“Hi, Wynonna,” Samantha says, just as perky as her tits.

“Give me my kid,” she replies.

“She’s coming,” Samantha says, not as enthusiastic.

Finally, Alice runs full speed towards the truck. She climbs in and buckles herself in, already rambling about something that happened in school. Wynonna’s body craves whiskey and a nap. Thankfully, she doesn’t work again this week and she can sleep in.

“Anyways, where’s Aunt Waves and Nicole?” Alice asks.

Wynonna huffs. She grips the steering wheel tighter as she drives into the exit line. She says, “Missed you too, baby girl.”

The nickname just makes her sad now. It was always what she called Waverly and it easily transferred over. Her little sister just doesn’t get it, doesn’t get that all she’s ever tried to do is protect her. If she would just slow down and remember that she’s probably the second most important person in the world to her then everything would be just fine.

“Missed you, Mommy,” Alice says, “Are they at our house?”

“I don’t think so;” Wynonna admits with a sigh.

“Oh,” Alice says, pouting immediately.

She has to fix this. She misses her little sister, her Waverly, her baby girl. If she has to share her with Haught then so be it.

💘

The October air is a little bit chilly now that she’s stagnant. Still, Nicole just grasps the sleeves of her blue sweater in her palms to keep it pulled down. She shivers slightly, hugging her legs as she sits on the porch step. She’s trying to patient, to wait for Wynonna’s return, but she’s getting a little desperate.

Chrissy drove Rosita and Waverly to the airport to pick up Robin and Jeremy. Nicole volunteered to stay behind so that everyone could fit comfortably. With Devon and her dad at work, and her mother meeting with the caterers for some last minute menu details, Nicole has nothing but time on her hands. Time to wait and confront Wynonna.

The truck screeches to a halt in the driveway, demanding Nicole’s attention. Before she can even react, Alice is barreling out of the backseat and running towards her. She’s screaming out Nicole’s name like they’ve known each other forever. She greets Alice softly as the little girl throws her arms around Nicole’s neck, sliding easily between her knees and pulling back to rest against her thigh.

“I missed you,” Alice tells her.

Nicole thinks it’s cute that the little girl would miss her considering they’ve spent very little time together. Last night at dinner, Stella and Alice were forced to sit in their seats and behave. Not that Nicole didn’t appreciate it. She would just like to get to know her future niece(s) a little better.

“Awe, I missed you too,” Nicole hums, “How was school?”

“Boring,” Alice replies, sounding suspiciously like Wynonna, “Gramma said you and Aunt Waves are getting married.”

“It’s true,” Nicole confirms, hand high on the little girl’s back to keep her steady.

“What does that mean?” Alice asks, face contorting.

“That means we’re going to play dress up and have a big party that you’re invited to,” Nicole replies.

“I love parties!” Alice practically yells, face lighting up, “But what’s the party for?”

“Hm, well, it’s for a bunch of adult reasons,” Nicole tells her.

For a brief moment, Nicole forgets why she’s been waiting in the first place. As she thinks about Waverly walking down the aisle, she feels her eyes beginning to well up with tears. She feels silly. She never really cared about the wedding in the first place. She just wanted to call Waverly her wife, to put her name on all of her next of kin paperwork and to take care of her for the rest of their lives.

“Nicole,” Alice says with a concerned tone, shaking her arm gently, “Why are you crying?”

“Alright, kid,” Wynonna interrupts, “Why don’t you go inside? Leave Nicole alone.”

“Ugh,” Alice huffs, “Fine.”

Just like that, Alice is gone and running into the house. The front door slams behind her and the sound is drowned out by the sound of a car driving by. She looks up at Wynonna, the woman’s tough exterior only getting tougher. Nicole sighs and stretches her legs out as Wynonna kicks the concrete, begrudgingly sitting down beside her.

“What are you doing here?” Wynonna asks, “Besides corrupting my child with your romantic ideas...”

“Do you have a problem with me, Wynonna?” Nicole says, voice coming out much harsher than she means for it to. Wynonna seems a little blindsided by the question as she looks over her shoulder and towards the door, like she’s concerned Alice is looking on. Nicole wouldn’t be surprised. She gives off vibes that she’s a little rebel. Sighing, she adds, “This thing between you and your sister, it’s killing her.”

“I don’t like it either,” Wynonna snaps, “But she’s the one who decided to keep this huge thing from us.”

“She’s getting married,” Nicole says, “And she isn’t like the rest of us. She’s only going to do this once. All that she wanted was to share this with you and now she thinks you aren’t even happy for her.”

“How can I be?” Wynonna asks, “I barely even know you.”

“And whose fault is that?” Nicole counters. She stands up, her nerves beginning to build in her legs and make them ache. After slipping her hands in her pockets, she looks down at Waverly’s sister and decides that maybe this is eating her up too. She goes a little easier on her. “She loves you. She looks up to you. It wouldn’t hurt to just tell her you miss her.”

“What do you know, Red?” Wynonna says with a defensive tone.

“If you didn’t care you wouldn’t be so mad at her,” Nicole says, “Come on. You owe it to yourself to talk to her.”

“Mind your own business,” Wynonna huffs.

“Wynonna, please,” Nicole stresses, “Do it for her.”

Wynonna sits in silence, not giving Nicole a response. She doesn’t have to, Nicole decides. Wynonna doesn’t really know her, doesn’t know that she couldn’t care less if Wynonna even likes her. She just doesn’t want to see Waverly so torn up over this anymore. It’s taking away her joy and Waverly Gibson is the happiest person she’s ever met.

Before either of them can say anything, Chrissy’s car pulls onto the street and makes its way to in front of the house. Waverly gets out of the backseat on the driver’s side and looks over at them. Nicole doesn’t warrant Wynonna with another response, just makes her way over to the car.

Waverly still looks confused when Nicole reaches them. So confused that she doesn’t exactly say anything in greeting or even wrap Nicole up in a hug. She knows what it’s in regards to, but it still stings a little. Over the last few months, Waverly’s been very affectionate and Nicole hasn’t had a single complaint about it.

“Hey,” Nicole starts softly, “Drop the boys off at the hotel?”

“They’re a little tired,” Rosita replies.

Nicole nods and turns her attention to Waverly. Her fiancée is staring across the street at her sister and Nicole has to lift a hand to her shoulder to get her attention. When they lock eyes, she gives Waverly a smile.

“Go talk to her,” Nicole says.

Waverly gives a big sigh in response before leaning forward and giving Nicole a quick hug. She barely has time to respond before she’s watching Waverly make it across the street to where Wynonna sits on the porch. She takes the opportunity to stare at Waverly’s ass in those jeans before she blinks a few times and follows her own sister into their childhood home.

“Where’s my nephew?” Nicole asks Chrissy.

“With his dad,” Chrissy says with a roll of her eyes, “Men are capable of watching their children, and Xavier is happy to do it.”

“Why are you keeping us apart?” Nicole pouts.

“You’re so annoying,” Chrissy says, shoving her playfully.

Rosita comes around the corner at that moment, laughing at the two sisters while holding her hands up. She just have ran into the bathroom the moment they got back because that’s where the downstairs bathroom is. With a sigh, she turns on her heel to watch the interaction between sisters across the street.

💘

Crying and embarrassed, she keeps her eyes turned away from her sister. Wynonna has never been very good with feelings. Not to mention all of the scrutiny her older sister gave her when she was younger and she would cry at the smallest thing.

Despite that, they kiss and make up. Wynonna expresses that keeping something as important as a relationship from her made her feel like Waverly just doesn’t need her anymore. Even though she doesn’t need her sister to protect her anymore, she still needs her around. Additionally, she agrees to give Nicole a fair chance.

After making a joke about who else is she supposed to talk to when her and Nicole fight, she goes back across the street to Nicole’s parents’ house. It’s rather quiet, considering it’s filled with people, and she’s feeling really exhausted. The day has been emotionally draining and if she wants to properly prepare for the evening then she needs a nap.

She falls asleep easily snuggled up in Nicole’s bed, blankets warm and still somehow smelling of her fiancée’s natural scent. She feels like a massive weight has been lifted when she wakes up. Of course it helps that Nicole is placing a soft kiss against her jaw. Her warm lips linger against Waverly’s skin and she can’t help smiling as her eyes flutter open.

“You know what I love?” Waverly murmurs, fighting a yawn.

“Me,” Nicole says, soft and husky and teasing all at once.

Waverly grins as she rolls towards her and quickly encases her face with both hands. A giggle falls out of her mouth, feeling renewed and refreshed. She finally feels free to be excited about getting married, now that things are worked out with her sister. Nicole’s hands circle her wrists, thumb sweeping over her veins and surely feeling the bump of her heart.

“Getting to wake up to your beautiful face every day,” Waverly finally says.

“Alright,” Nicole says, laughing, “I’m already marrying you. No need to flirt with me.”

“But I like flirting with you,” Waverly says, pouting. With a shake of her head, Nicole places a gentle kiss against her lips. When Nicole pulls back, the pout is gone. She sighs, head in the clouds. “Most of the reason why I’m with you is so I can flirt with you. And kiss you whenever I want.”

“Feeling’s mutual, babe,” Nicole replies with a wink. Waverly groans suddenly, annoyed that they have plans that requires her to actually stop flirting with Nicole and get dressed. She hugs the blanket tighter just in case. “Hey, you gotta get up.”

“Fine,” she relents.

When she gets out of the bed, the room is cold. She shivers immediately but changes rather quickly. She struggles to get into her tightest pair of jeans, black but so form fitting that they look painted on. By the time she’s done brushing out her long, wavy hair Nicole has changed too.

“Mm, baby,” Waverly hums, “You look so cute.”

“Thanks,” Nicole says, grinning as she pulls her shoe on, “You look cute, too.”

She pads across the floor in her socked feet, not having an opportunity to put on her own shoes just yet, and closes the distance between them. Nicole sits upright, back stretching as she tilts her chin up to look at Waverly. Slipping between her knees, Waverly presses her palms against Nicole’s shoulders and slides her hands around to the back of her fiancée’s neck.

“How did your talk with Wynonna go?” Nicole asks her, settling hands on Waverly’s waist.

“It went well,” Waverly says, smiling.

She leans forward, rounding her hands against Nicole’s back, and places a kiss on her lips. They’re warm and inviting, the kiss deepening easily. Waverly almost feels like they haven’t kissed like this since the wedding has gotten closer, her heart having been too tired from the tension with her sister. Nicole’s mouth turns upwards into a smile, their mouths still pressed together. Their tongues touch briefly before they’re pulling apart and Waverly is pressing her forehead against Nicole’s instead.

Reluctantly, she pulls away to pull her boots on. They have a generous heel, one that when she puts them on gives her 3 inches of height. She gives Nicole a smile when she’s all done, giving herself a moment to run her fingers along the silky material of her floral short sleeve button up. It’s a nice material, one that Waverly always feels encouraged to touch.

Waverly grabs her purse in one hand and slips her other into Nicole’s grasp, threading their fingers together as she goes and pulling her along as they exit the bedroom. She hears laughter downstairs when they reach the top of the stairs and gives Nicole a confused look. As her eyes land on Rosita sitting between Nicole’s sisters while looking through a photo album, she pouts. She thinks maybe they’re showing Rosita pictures and telling her stories without her. She wants to hear them.

“Hey,” Nicole says from behind her, “You guys ready to head out?”

Everyone piles into different cars. Nicole gets a confused look on her face when Devon offers her the keys to her car and volunteers to ride with Chrissy and Rosita, but she takes them anyway. Waverly suspects they are trying to politely remind them that after dinner they won’t be seeing each other because their parties are splitting up. She doesn’t exactly know what her sister has planned, but she’s pretty sure it’s even more terrible than she expects it to be.

In the car, she welcomes the silence. The energy that Nicole gives off is calming and she’s sort of missed the way it’s been just the two of them. There’s a peaceful quiet between them where neither of them really feels obligated to say anything. Even the radio is a low hum. Every thought that touches Waverly’s brain just doesn’t seem important enough to disturb the comfortable silence around them, so she just lets it fade away without uttering a single word.

When Nicole reaches for her hand, she searches blindly but finds it easily. Her heart swells with love and, for the first time, she actually feels excitement bubbling in her chest that in just a few short days they’re getting married. Her hands are larger than Waverly’s, fingers slightly linger, but they’re narrow and fit against the webs of her own easily. With a sigh, Waverly thinks about the future to come. She doesn’t think too far ahead, just about how they have this life that they’re going to embark on together. She doesn’t know if they’ll have kids, if they even want that, because they’re both on the fence about the idea even still, but they’re happy being aunts.

“I’m sorry about earlier,” Waverly finally says. Nicole looks over at her briefly. With her eyes back on the road, Waverly follows her gaze. Chrissy’s SUV is right in front of them, leading the barricade towards the new Gardener hotel. It’s nice. It’s big though, according to the website. Waverly truly isn’t sure what it would ever be completely booked for. She sighs and says, “I should have spoken up sooner about things, but I just couldn’t stop thinking about your sister’s breakdown this morning.”

“It’s ok, baby,” Nicole reassures, squeezing her hand. She can see the faintest of smiles on Nicole’s lips and she feels guilty for breaking the silence, for her outburst at the church, for so many things. “It’s your wedding.”

“It’s your wedding, too,” Waverly volleys back, “Aren’t you excited?”

“I’m excited about the marriage,” Nicole replies.

Waverly feels silly again, but doesn’t protest. They fall back into the comfortable silence, Nicole’s thumb sweeping over her knuckle. Even in her weakest of moments, she feels completely filled to the brim with love. She had never expected to feel so full.

She swallows and says, “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” Nicole says, practically beaming like they haven’t exchanged those words thousands of times.

They pull up to the hotel with a really nice restaurant and park Devon’s car next to Chrissy’s. They all climb out at the same time, wearing something vaguely similar to fancy attire but also vaguely similar to party attire. When they walk into the restaurant, Jeremy and Robin are already seated at a table for 10. It already has a different feel to it than the dinner from the night before, no kids and no parents present, just friends and sisters.

Wynonna and Willa, however, are running a little late and Xavier beats them there. Pearson was dropped off at Nicole’s parents’ house so Xavier could join them for dinner, but he plans on going straight back over to pick him up and head home. The festivities after the meal are going to be demanding in staying awake.

Waverly is still on the fence about this one tradition, the one where they split up and celebrate with their respective friends an end to their singledom. Most of their friends are the same and especially with a destination style wedding, destination for their mutual friends, it makes the options more limited. If Waverly were being honest, she doesn’t want to celebrate the end of filing their taxes separately or not being Nicole’s next of kin on paperwork for her job. Just imagining something happening to Nicole and her being the last to know makes her heart hurt.

“Ok,” Waverly announces as everyone settles into their seats. She is sitting between Jeremy and Nicole at the corner of the table. She glances to Nicole at her right then looks beyond Jeremy at Robin. Without looking, she blindly reaches for Nicole’s hand and she audibly breathes a sigh of relief when that familiar touch presses against her palm. “Before we get too settled, we want to ask you something, Robin.”

His grin forms slowly and he nods along encouragingly.

She looks back at Nicole who leans forward, pulling Waverly’s hand into her chest and giving her the wealthiest look of love. It makes Waverly feel rich. Absently, she thinks about all of the people she loved before Nicole and realizes that was never really love. Not like this. She feels so incredibly happy that she could take the elevator to the top floor and shout it from the roof. Although, a wedding like this, she’s sure the entire town already knows.

“Would you,” Waverly starts, shifting her gaze back to his warm eyes and sighing, “Could you...officiate our wedding?”

“I would be honored,” Robin says, pulling his hand to his heart and smiling with his entire face. Mimicking his smile, she looks back at Nicole. She sighs, relieved. Nicole winks at her, confidence oozing out. For a moment, she feels like they’re alone. “Honestly, I was holding out that you would change your minds. Brought my best suit and everything.”

Before anything else on the matter can be said, Wynonna and Willa walk in while bickering with each other quite loudly. Waverly doesn’t know the details of the argument because by the time they get to the table Willa has summoned her decorum and Wynonna is ordering a drink from the waitress. Willa hugs her tightly before both of her sisters sit on the opposite side of the table.

She spends dinner trying not to feel guilty that her sisters are here with her friends, eating food that is a little costly, pretending to laugh at conversations with people they barely know. At least Willa is. Wynonna doesn’t fake it for anyone. She mostly spends dinner flirting with Xavier to watch Chrissy’s face. Across the table, she gives her sister a warning look but it goes ignored as expected.

Dinner is over quickly. Everyone has at least one drink in them. Wynonna definitely has more. Waverly is on her second drink, a whiskey sour Rosita introduced her to while they were in college and she was bartending for extra money. When they’ve all finished eating, her own stomach full with vegan tacos, the bills get settled.

Outside the air is cold and she leans into Nicole to absorb her warmth. She feels both of her fiancée’s arms wrap around her shoulders, pulling her in tighter until she’s easily settled into the crook of Nicole’s neck. Wrapping her own arms around Nicole’s middle, she breathes deeply. The alcohol is beginning to lightly buzz through her and she really doesn’t feel like letting go.

“Alright,” Wynonna says loudly behind her, “Let’s get going.”

“Wait,” Waverly whines.

Nicole’s arms loosen around her and her hands skate down her back, fingers working around to Waverly’s ribs. They dig in lightly, tickling her just a bit as Nicole leans back, her torso arching against Waverly’s stomach. Begrudgingly; Waverly pulls her hands to Nicole’s stomach and presses them there.

“Come on,” Wynonna grumbles.

“Leave her alone,” Willa snaps.

Chrissy is off telling Xavier goodbye while Robin and Jeremy are in their own bubble of parting ways. Everyone except Wynonna seems to have the patience of a saint and Waverly absently wonders if it’s because Wynonna seems to be on the prowl. She really hopes this is lower key than Wynonna’s normal go to.

“This is stupid,” Waverly whispers, “Why is this even a thing?”

“You’re cute,” Nicole replies, no edge to her voice.

Waverly pushes up on her toes just slightly, thanks to the boots, and presses her lips to Nicole’s. It’s soft and sweet, until Nicole’s pulling her in more and it becomes all tongues and teeth. The kiss ends abruptly when she feels a third hand on her shoulder that pulls her away, a growl falling out of her mouth. Buzzing Waverly is not excited about this, especially when she peels her eyes open to see that Nicole too looks pretty mad.

“We’re loading up,” Wynonna says, holding her hands up like she’s innocent.

“Wynonna!” Willa snaps again, “I swear to god.”

“Have fun, ok?” Nicole says, eyes much softer now. She knows how Waverly can get, especially while drinking. She becomes clingier, handsier, sometimes even a crier. She’s been nothing but wonderful to all three versions of drunk-Waverly. “I’ll see you later tonight?”

“I’ll miss you,” Waverly replies, the buzz turning her world a little lopsided as she grasps Nicole’s shirt in her hands.

“I’ll miss you, too, baby,” Nicole says, smiling softly, “You better go before your sister has a fit.”

“Let her,” Waverly says, finally smiling.

Finally, sadly, she steps away and the cold sends a chill through her. She gets into Chrissy’s car, in the backseat smashed between Jeremy and Willa. They both give her sad looks while Wynonna actually seems excited about their destination. She’s the only one in party mode.

“Hey,” Willa says, nudging Waverly gently with her knee. Waverly looks at her oldest sister and remembers a rougher side. It’s faded since she became a mother, Stella making her softer and more understanding. She had been a little hard on Waverly when they were kids. Sometimes maybe even a little jealous because she kept Waverly’s dad at an arm’s length. She was 9 when Waverly was born. “You two are cute together.”

“Thanks,” Waverly replies, giving her a smile.

“She seems really sweet,” Willa says.

“She’s the sweetest,” Waverly agrees.

“Gross,” Wynonna scoffs from the front seat, “Can we like go one hour without talking about Haught?”

“Shut up, Wyn!” Willa growls in all of her motherly instincts, “Stop being such an asshole. Besides, I want to hear about Waverly and Nicole.”

“Really?” Waverly asks, for some odd reason sounding surprised even to herself.

“Yeah,” Willa says, giving her a smile big enough that Waverly can even see it in the darkness, “She obviously makes you happy.”

Wynonna gags from the front seat and Chrissy shoots her a glare, reminding her that it is her sister that they’re talking about. Wynonna huffs and crosses her arms in front of her chest, pouting like a petulant child. She says, “Damn, baby girl, it’s your last night of freedom. Live it up.”

“It really isn’t,” Waverly replies.

For the rest of the drive Willa asks her questions about Nicole and her relationship until they arrive to their destination. Blinking, she realizes they’ve pulled up in front of Shorty’s. It’s a place that she hasn’t visited since her Aunt Gus and Uncle Curtis sold their share years ago to a man named Robert. She didn’t live here by then anyway.

As they enter the bar, the music is playing a song from when they were in high school and Chrissy grabs her hand like she used to at parties and pulls her towards an empty spot to dance to it. Wynonna groans, seemingly annoyed because she’s with Waverly’s type of people rather than her own type of people. But it’s her party, kind of.

“Shots!” Wynonna announces.

So they head over to the bar and order a round. Once they’ve all thrown one back, Wynonna yells for another one. It’s going to be a long night.

💘

For a brief moment, Nicole had thought perhaps Chrissy would have at least a little bit of difficulty decided which of them she was going to party with. Turns out, there was never a question in her mind that she was going to go with Waverly. Apparently, Devon explains in the car, they had been planning their weddings since they were 12 years old and were going to do all of these things together.

Obviously, the details are drastically different than they planned at 12 years old. But Nicole feels a little guilty for not knowing that a wedding had been so important to her future wife. Although Waverly has been mostly indifferent about how the wedding comes to be, she has been very adamant that she wants for Nicole to have what she wants too.

She groans when she realizes they are going to _Pussy Willows_ , a place she would much rather stay away from. Devon gives her a pout that makes her tamp her mouth shut, reminding her that she doesn’t get to spend a lot of time with her sister anymore. It’s been a long time. Probably before she even moved to the city since Devon was just an annoying kid. Most of the time she feels guilty because she truthfully barely knows his sister at all.

“Fine,” Nicole huffs, “But I don’t want a lap dance.”

“You’re no fun in your old age,” Devon teases.

Nicole doesn’t say anything else, just follows Devon into the place. The music is loud and attempting to be sexy. It makes her stomach churn at the way this isn’t really what she wants. She would rather be with Waverly than at a place like this. Maybe she is getting more boring as she approaches 30.

Robin holds the door open for them and trails behind as they approach the bar. Rosita throws her arms up in the air and cheers the women at work on. Nicole sighs as she looks around the room, noticing that it’s mostly empty (which isn’t surprising given it’s a Thursday night) but the patrons that are present are mostly middle aged men. Strip clubs have never really been her thing.

“Drinks!” Rosita cheers.

“Just a beer,” Robin tells the bartender, a woman that Nicole vaguely recognizes.

“Me too,” she adds.

Rosita and Devon sigh simultaneously. It’s clear that the two of them really want to party much harder than Nicole and Robin, but that would make sense considering they are both single. By the time they get their drinks, Devon and Rosita are flirting beside her. She does her best to ignore it, lifting the beer to her mouth and taking a drink. It works until there’s an ear piercing laughter that’s followed by Devon bumping into her hip.

“Gross,” Nicole mumbles.

They sit at the bar a while longer, both her and Robin clearly beyond bored. Every once in a while they chat about something, but for the most part they’re just expressing that they are really not interested in being at this place. They would both rather be doing anything than this.

“Hey,” Nicole finally says, setting her beer down on the counter as she turns her attention to her friend and her sister, “Can we leave?”

“What?” Devon screeches.

“Neither of us are enjoying this,” Nicole replies defensively, “Can’t we do something more...fun?”

Nicole groans when Devon just stares at her blankly. Her phone vibrates in her pocket so she takes it out to look at it. It’s a message from Waverly telling her that they’re at Shorty’s and she really wishes that Nicole were there. Sighing, she types out a reply.

“For once in your life, Nicole,” Devon starts, grabbing Nicole by the arm, “Will you just chill out and have a seat.”

Begrudgingly, she and Robin sit at a 4 person table. Rosita manages to bring over some shots, tequila being placed in front of each of them. Nicole sighs and looks at Robin before they both reach out and lift it to their mouths. Nicole and Robin both keep their eyes adverted from the dancing women. Not that they aren’t talented, it just isn’t the person Nicole wants to look at in that way.

“What would be your perfect party?” Nicole asks him.

“I don’t think I’d want one,” he admits, “My thing is like...jazz music and trivia night.”

“Oh nice,” Nicole says, taking a drink; she swallows and asks, “What’s your best category?”

“Definitely jazz music,” Robin answers, “Yours?”

Smirking, she leans forward and tells him, “ _Golden Girls_.”

He chuckles lightly. Waverly, Jeremy and Rosita met in science club while in college and sometimes she and Robin feel like outsiders around them. Neither of them complain because the they just like seeing the person they’re with having a good time in their element, but it has allowed the two of them to bond a little bit. Especially when they do actually participate in trivia night at a local bar. Very rarely do they get to chime in with an answer. At least he gets to teach jazz at an inner city school. He helped to influence her desire to help the community a bit.

“What are you going on about?” Rosita asks, waving her hand in the middle of the table to get their attention.

“You know,” Robin says, leaning his arms on the table, “Girls aren’t really my thing.”

“Even Jeremy knows when a woman is objectively beautiful,” Rosita retorts.

Nicole finally looks up from the table and gets an eyeful or something she isn’t prepared to see. She adjusts her gaze back to Robin, better safe than sorry to keep her eyes on him. She’s pretty sure she just saw a girlfriend from high school working her hips under the neon lights.

Her phone vibrates again and she plucks it out of her pocket.

She sighs in relief when she sees it’s Waverly.

_We should be celebrating together._

“Are you two, like, attached at the hip or something?” Devon asks, interrupting her brain process of replying to her future wife.

“Me and Robin?” Nicole asks, confused. She looks at Robin. Back to Devon. Robin. Devon again. Rosita. “He’s not really my type. No offense.”

“None taken,” Robin says, holding his hands up and grinning.

Devon covers Nicole’s phone screen and lowers the device to the table. Her gaze seems like a challenge, one that Nicole won’t back down from. Nicole sighs, releasing her phone and leaning onto the table:

“I’m trying, Dev, but this is totally not what I want to be doing,” Nicole says softly. Slowly, Devon relents and retracts her hand. There’s a flash of guilt in her little sister’s eyes like she’s afraid she’s royally disappointed Nicole. She saw the look once before, a long time ago, when Devon came out to her. Lifting her hand, she places it on her sister’s shoulder and gives her a smile, “It’s ok. It’s tradition. But if we could maybe just, I don’t know, turn it into a group thing by the end of the night then I’ll be happy.”

“One more drink?” Devon suggests.

“Two,” Nicole compromises easily.

The mood lifts. Nicole tries to ignore the fact that her ex-girlfriend from high school is trying very hard to make sexy movements for mostly drunken townsfolk. If she were on their level, maybe she would enjoy it. But even then, the woman hasn’t held Nicole’s interests so probably not. She’s started finding most things not even half as sexy as she used to since Waverly caught her eye.

Thankfully, Devon drinks her two very quickly and is just drunk enough that she doesn’t know the difference between her own drinks and Nicole’s drinks.

Together, they make their way out to the car. Nicole has the keys to Devon’s car and since she only had half a beer, she drives them over to Shorty’s. Every time she looks in the review mirror, she catches sight of Rosita and Devon leaning together in the backseat and laughing. Part of her is just happy that her sister seems so happy.

Otherwise, the drive is rather quiet.

The old, familiar bar doesn’t seem too busy. The parking spot beside Chrissy’s SUV is empty so she eases Devon’s little car into the space. With a sigh, she glances over at Robin who immediately gives her a big grin.

“Now for the real party,” he says.

Nicole shakes her head but smiles anyway.

As they enter the bar, Devon practically dances in. The atmosphere feels better, is more her speed. Both Devon and Rosita even seem to not have any complaints. Devon and Rosita are already at the bar getting another round of drinks.

With a quick look around the bar, they find the other half of their group by the pool table. Wynonna is lining up for a shot while Jeremy stands beside her. He grins when he sees them, lifting his hand awkwardly in greeting. As soon as he sees them, the rest follows. Nicole barely has a moment to think before Waverly is shooting out of her chair and making her way across the room.

“Baby,” she practically screams.

Nicole grins as her betrothed throws her arms around her neck, but she’s ready to catch her clingy Waverly. She bends down a bit, pushing her hands around her waist and digging her fingers into the small of the brunette’s back. The clingy stage of alcohol is always a fun stage, considering Nicole is absolutely a fan of the attention.

“Hey, you,” Nicole murmurs.

Smiling, Waverly presses a kiss against her mouth but when she pulls back, it’s a pout.

“I missed you,” Waverly hums.

“Boy,” Nicole breathes, “Do I love you.”

Waverly laughs, tipping her head back, and Nicole trails her index finger along the curve of her throat. Her hand is stilled, fingers wrapping around it and pressing into her palm. With a quick kiss against her skin, Waverly threads their fingers together and gives her hand a squeeze.

She quickly finds herself being pulled to the table Waverly was previously at, Robin following them until he greets his own boyfriend.

She feels like a teenager as they sneak back into her parents’ house, Waverly’s hands pressed against her sides. Despite being together numerous times, her heart still flutters in her chest and her skin is warm beneath her fiancées hands. The nerve endings beneath Waverly’s palms tingle and fills her with want.

Turning beneath Waverly’s hands, she cups Waverly’s face and pulls her forwards. When they kiss, it’s slow and sweet until their tongues sweep together and it deepens. In her tipsy state, Waverly loses her balance and takes Nicole with her. She finds herself pressing Waverly into the stairs. A few languid kisses later, Waverly’s mumbling against her mouth.

“What, baby?” Nicole murmurs back.

“I said,” Waverly replies dramatically, “These stairs are hurting my back.”

“Come on,” Nicole says with a smirk.

She wraps her hand around Waverly’s and pulls on it, a little heavier than normal. It makes her realize that her fiancée might be a bit more drunk than she originally realized. It does nothing to slow her down though because Waverly drags her up the stairs to her old childhood bedroom like she owns the damn place. Which is to be said that Nicole has always found her confidence to be sexy.

Waverly hums as she turns on her heel, other hand coming up to the back of Nicole’s neck. It’s a simple gesture, one that has their bodies close together once again. A chuckle vibrates in her throat as she uses her free hand to close the door, a soft click drowning in the silence.

There’s a tickle at the back of her neck. The encouragement she immediately gets in return is gentle, begging for the apex of all of her alcohol consumption to be fulfilled with her desires being met. It is often that a tipsy or even drunk Waverly results in hours of accidental foreplay (re: clinginess) before their arrival home. The release is typically quick and easy and yet still exciting like a need has finally been met.

Nicole was never very good at drunken hookups before Waverly. Something about lowered inhibitions. Perhaps it’s the cop instincts, all of that training telling her not to abuse her power.

She feels Waverly’s tongue dart across the seam of her lips so she grants access by parting them, deepening the kiss with fervor. She takes a step forward and Waverly’s hand trail to her shoulders. With another step, the brunette’s hands tighten. Another step brings resistance in moving forward any more so she eases her fiancée down onto the mattress.

Waverly giggles and hums as her hands slide along her shoulders, grasping the front of her shirt. Looking down her nose, she sees a warm look in Waverly’s eyes. It hits her again and again and again that she can count down the days on one hand that this woman will be her wife, hits her that everything she could want to spend her life with is wrapped tightly in a little package. It only makes Waverly more beautiful.

Her hands press against Waverly’s sides and she can’t help but worship her frame, knee pressing against the edge of the mattress. Waverly sighs and drops her hands lower, softly pressing them against Nicole’s torso. With a grin, Nicole leans forward to drop a sweet kiss against her jaw which traps Waverly’s hands between their bodies.

Heart swelling, Nicole spreads kisses along Waverly’s jaw until she can whisper into her ear - “I love you.”

There’s a tired sounding giggle that skates across her cheek. She grins and pulls back to look down at her betrothed, her soon-to-be wife, but realizes that her tight grasp on the front of Nicole’s shirt has loosened. Holding her breath, Nicole blinks in the darkness in an attempt to get a better look. Waverly says nothing in reply. As she’s not typically one to hold that particular phrase close to her chest (anymore, that is), it sparks concern.

She still can’t see anything in the dark so she leans down and places a soft kiss against Waverly’s mouth.

And there’s....no response.

With a sigh, she pulls her weight off of Waverly. She gives the brunette a once over and decides that this is just not going to happen tonight. It’s a little bit funny, considering Waverly was the one who started this. Chuckling to herself, she lifts Waverly’s right foot and pulls her shoe off before moving to the next one.

After getting Waverly undressed all of the way down to her underwear, Nicole manages to right her under the blankets. It’s tough. Even though Waverly doesn’t weigh much, she’s heaviest while sleeping. Once she’s sure Waverly is comfortable, she crawls into bed herself.

Any joy she feels at her future wife sleepily curling into her overpowers the minute disappointment about her falling asleep during foreplay.


	4. Something Borrowed

At the first hint of sunlight, her head starts pounding. Truthfully, the last thing that she wants to do is get up but the bed is really, really cold. Snuggling deeper into the blankets, Waverly quickly discovers that she is actually alone in the bed. She huffs and buries her head into the pillow Nicole’s been using, nose overwhelmed with the familiar vanilla scent.

It takes a minute of being awake to realize that she is wearing substantially less clothing than she last remembers considering she’s just in her bra and panties. The skin beneath the material of her bra aches, raw from squeezing her sides all night, so she reaches up and releases the clasp. She tosses the offending item aside and sinks back into the mattress.

After a few minutes of keeping her eyes closed and trying to go back to sleep, she gives up. She’s too cold. Most of her is exposed and she isn’t wearing enough clothing to keep her warm in Nicole’s absence. But the sun is far too bright for her to actually get up so she shivers uncontrollably beneath the blankets instead.

Blinking as she tries to remember the night before, the sun immediately grounds out a sharp pain behind her eyes. She could use a shirt, some water, and a pair of sunglasses. What she wouldn’t do to not feel so hungover...And here she thought she could hold her liquor as well as her sisters.

The door clicking startles her. She might even gasp at the sound, surprise vibrating through her bones. There is a veiled layer of relief that washes over her when she sees her betrothed attempting to sneak in with a glass of water. Despite the throbbing against her skull, she grins at the redhead.

“Morning,” Waverly says, voice hoarse and thick with sleep.

Nicole’s mouth forms a pretty little smile that almost manages to make her feel warmer beneath the cold blankets. The redhead places the glass of water on the nightstand. Once the glass is set aside, Nicole reaches for the stack of blankets and lifts it so she can climb back in.

She mumbles a good morning as she moves closer to the middle of the bed, the entire mattress rattling on the box springs. Her hands are warm against Waverly’s ribs and, even though it is incredibly painful to keep her eyes open, she watches Nicole’s face change. The redhead sweeps her thumbs along the swell of Waverly’s breasts, drawing her closer as she shivers beneath the touch.

“You took your bra off,” Nicole comments.

“It was hurting me,” Waverly mutters as she burrows into Nicole’s warm embrace.

Chuckling quietly, Nicole’s warm hands wander to her back and slides along her spine. The movement lulls her back into comfort, always feeling protected by the woman as their bodies fit together. After a few minutes of silence, warmth spreads through her again so she hums in satisfaction. The vibration reminds her that her head hurts so she groans.

“Hangover?” Nicole asks softly. Waverly just doesn’t have it in her to form anymore words so she just nods slowly. She remembers bits of pieces about the night before. One thing sticks out in her mind: Wynonna making out with a male stripper. Nicole had arrived by then and Waverly does tend to get a one track mind when drinking. “You were pretty drunk last night.”

Waverly snorts and nuzzles into the redhead’s neck, placing a soft kiss against the exposed collar bone. Her hands grasp tightly at Nicole’s shirt, wondering how she can be so incredibly warm all of the time while Waverly’s left freezing. She huffs, but Nicole only holds her tighter.

It’s easy to be wrapped up in her arms, cuddled close and using her warmth. It feels just like at home on the rare occasion when they do stay in bed late. It doesn’t happen often, but when it does it always makes Waverly feel better. Despite the fact that it isn’t exactly curing the pounding in her head. She wishes that she could just sleep it off. Unfortunately, that isn’t possible with the big day lined up before their 6:30 rehearsal dinner.

It all almost seems like way too much. She’s never been married before, so she doesn’t know what exactly is standard events for a wedding. Suddenly, she’s reminded that Nicole has been married before and that’s a subject they really don’t talk about much.

She trails her hand down to Nicole’s stomach and lets her fingers slip beneath the hem of her shirt, fingers trailing over the expanse of warm skin. Briefly, Nicole’s muscles tighten beneath her palm before she relaxes. She shifts slowly, tilting her chin upward as she leans back to look at her fiancées face.

“Can I ask you a question?” Waverly asks.

“You can ask me anything, baby,” Nicole murmurs.

“What was your wedding to Shae like?” Waverly says.

Nicole sighs. She doesn’t sound annoyed, not really, but mostly like she’s been caught off guard. Waverly understands considering they’ve been together for a while and haven’t discussed it to date. There’s surely some irony in the universe somewhere that’s laughing at her for waiting to ask on the eve of their own wedding.

“It really wasn’t special,” Nicole says, “My family wasn’t even there. I was caught up in the moment and happier than I had ever been, but I think that was mostly due to seeing Britney Spears live. Truthfully, I barely even remember it.”

“Are you happy to be marrying me?” Waverly asks.

She stills her hand on Nicole’s stomach almost bracing herself for the worst news she could ever hear. It’s too late to be asking questions like this considering they’re supposed to be getting married in just over 24 hours. Leave it to her to become insecure that her almost wife still likes her.

“Getting to marry you will be the happiest day of my life,” Nicole says gently. She accompanies it with a kiss to the crown of Waverly’s head. The redhead’s fingers slip just beneath the waistband of her underwear and settles on the curve of her ass. “Why are you even trying to compare, baby? You know I love you.”

“I know, I just,” Waverly sighs, her shoulders moving against Nicole’s chest, “You haven’t always seemed into this wedding and it worries me.”

“Don’t worry so much,” Nicole says, tilting her head and forcing Waverly to look at her, “You’re the one for me, Waves.”

“I know you say that,” Waverly trails off, leaning down to use Nicole’s breast as a fluffy pillow.

“And five years from now when you ask me if I still like you, I’m going to say yes,” Nicole teases.

“Ok,” Waverly replies, smacking Nicole on the stomach, “You don’t have to use memes against me.”

“It’s fun,” the redhead says with a shrug.

“You’re lucky you’re cute,” she says, gently scratching at Nicole’s stomach. They lull into silence for a few minutes as the pounding in Waverly’s head becomes more prominent. Waverly finally sucks in a deep breath, trying to will out some of the tension behind her eyes. "We should probably get up. There's a lot of last minute things to take care of before tonight."

"If you're going to shower, you better get in there," Nicole replies, tapping her lightly on the ass.

Waverly sighs in response, finding all of the strength inside of her to push herself up and place a lingering kiss on Nicole's slightly parted lips. Her almost _wife_ helps her off of the bed so she can go dig through her bag for a change of clothes. She has a nice pair of floral pants she was saving for today before the cute, little purple dress she planned on wearing to the rehearsal dinner. After getting her change of clothes, she makes her way into the bathroom so she can cleanse herself of the alcohol clogging her pores. She definitely drank too much last night. But then again, so did nearly everyone else.

The water is barely warm but it’s enough to at least ride her body of the scent of alcohol. The lights are still too bright and she squints until she’s dried, dressed, and with a pair of sunglasses on. She’s sure she barely looks passable without makeup or her hair really done up, but there’s plenty of time to get ready before the rehearsal dinner. Besides, all that she’s doing today is going to the venue and reviewing some last minute details with her mother and Lily.

As she descends the stairs, she can hear faint laughter in the kitchen. She follows the sound even though it sort of makes her head pound, but that’s where everyone else is. Plus, she needs electrolytes, food and water if she’s going to make through today.

When she steps over the threshold, Nicole is at the stove while Devon and Rosita are laughing at the kitchen island. It’s almost too sweet to interrupt. In fact, she sort of feels bad that Nicole is infringing on their moment. She racks her brain to the night before and vaguely remembers a few moments the pair had the night before. She discards the sunglasses onto the counter as she takes a seat on the other side of Devon.

“Morning,” Waverly murmurs.

“Morning,” Rosita counters in too loud of a voice, “How’d you sleep?”

“Fine,” Waverly answers.

“You passed out,” Nicole looks at her pointedly.

“I did not,” Waverly says flippantly.

Nicole laughs as she turns off the stove and sets a plate of food in front of her. She feels a kiss pressed against her temple before the occupied space is empty again. Then Nicole says, “We were about to have sex and you passed out.”

“I guess the next time you have sex will just have to be your wedding night,” Devon chimes in with a wink. Waverly groans, moments from the night before coming back to her slowly. She takes a bite of the food Nicole made and, the moment it touches her tongue, she moans at the taste. “We didn’t hear any of that last night.”

“Hey,” Nicole scolds. Out of the corner of her eye, she sees Rosita smack Devon’s thigh as she chuckles lightly. Their hands slide together momentarily but they separate quickly. Her fiancée’s hand on her back, sliding comfortingly down her spine, distracts her. There’s another kiss against her temple before the redhead says, “You’re cute, baby.”

“Thanks,” Waverly hums. After she takes another bite, she lulls in the thought of how much Nicole takes care of her. At that, she beams at her from across the island where Nicole is leaning against the countertop with her own plate of food. “How did I get so lucky?”

“I guess the stars just aligned,” Nicole says with her own wide grin.

Smile still in place, she pushes herself onto her feet and leans over the counter to meet Nicole in a chaste kiss.

💘

After Devon parks the car in front of the coffee shop, they get a cup to go. Rosita says she’ll catch up with them later. She wants to enjoy the quiet of the coffee shop before exploring the small town a bit. Mostly everything is on the mile radius of this street anyway. There might be a few gas stations in opposite directions, a drive in that gets packed during the warmer time of the year, the high school to the west, the middle school to the north and the elementary school to the east, but there really isn’t much else.

Everything is local. Including the vintage clothing store that has provided almost every single article of clothing for the big events in Nicole’s childhood. It’s actually bittersweet that she would be here to try on the clothing her mother picked out for her to wear for her wedding day. It’s too bad that there won’t be much time to really tailor it to her. What she really wants is to look perfect for Waverly.

“So, what’s going on with you and Rosita?” Nicole asks as they walk along the pavement.

One hand is in her jacket pocket while the other clasps her warm cup of coffee. The breeze is chilly, even for her. It’s really such a good thing that they decided not to get married outdoors because Waverly would be incredibly cold.

“Whatever do you mean?” Devon asks coyly. Her heels echo on the pavement, the sound catching in the wind and drifting, drifting, drifting behind them like a masterful cape. In the distance, Nicole sees that familiar ridiculous truck parked on the street in front of Shorty’s. She scowls upon seeing it, hoping that after yesterday morning she doesn’t come face to face with Champ Hardy. Devon must catch sight of her face because she says, “She’s just really cool.”

“Yeah,” Nicole says, sighing as they finally reach the front door and her chances to see the boy-man are thankfully diminished. She pulls open the door and lets Devon walk through first, half a step behind her little sister. Although not exactly that little with those tall heels on that adds enough inches for her to be slightly taller. “Rosie’s great. I actually suspect she might have been Waverly’s gay awakening.”

“Really?” Devon says, voice low with interest.

“I’ve never really asked,” Nicole admits with a shrug, “Maybe too scared to hear the answer.”

Together, they approach the counter where the same old woman who has always been there awaits. The store has always had a 10-5 time slot and it’s been an entire production for her to make it out to actually see what her mom picked out. Nicole smiles widely, wondering if the woman would even recognize her. Luckily, she does so it cuts the conversation down to the good old formalities about the big city and the wedding. Her customary conversation topics over the last few months.

As the woman waddles away, Nicole and Devon wander further into the store where there’s a big couch. It looks clean, but it was there years ago when she tried on that dress for prom her senior year. Devon sits in the middle, crossing one leg over the other and leaning against her thigh. Sighing, she drops into the space beside her sister and settles her cup between her thighs, pulling an arm back to rest against the back of the couch.

“Whatever happened, if it happened, was before you,” Devon says.

“I know,” Nicole replies, the weight in her shoulders loosening, “I don’t think anything would happen now. I mean, we’re madly in love. It would probably just fuck with my head a little bit.”

“Oh, please,” Devon scoffs. She takes a sip of her coffee and swallows before giving her a firm eye roll. She says, “You’re such a hypocrite.”

“Me?” Nicole asks, surprised by the declaration.

“Yes, you,” Devon accuses, “Your record is unmatchable.”

Nicole laughs and says, “This isn’t a numbers game.”

Devon simply rolls her eyes again.

The old woman makes a much desired appearance at this time with two options in her hands. Nicole gives them a once over while the woman kindly reminds her where the changing room is. She leaves her cup of coffee on the side table. Devon gives her an encouraging smile as she stands up and meanders over to the changing room with her presented options.

Once inside, she hangs them up in separate hangers and gives them the once over. One of them is a black tuxedo with a vest option while the other is a navy blue suit. It reminds her of her police uniform back home. Of course that thing is way more intricate. If she had wanted to wear that she would have brought it. Truthfully, she understands why her mom picked these two options but something just doesn’t seem right.

Still, she takes off her blue jeans and blue sweater to put it on. With a glance at the clothes she’s taking off, she chuckles quietly thinking that if all else fails then she could just wear that. Shaking her head, she decides to try the blue one on first. The pants are a little too loose around her legs for her liking. The white shirt she tucks in is simple, but she might need a size larger thanks to her boobs. The tie is ugly too, a simple black thing.

After putting on her black leather boots, she wanders back out into the shop. Devon is looking at a rack of dresses but turns when she hears Nicole move the curtain. She doesn’t feel right in these clothes and one look from her sister tells her that she doesn’t look right either. They don’t exchange words, they just shake their heads at the exact same time and she returns to the changing room.

She changes into the black tuxedo. It fits much better around her waist and let’s her cuff the pants around her ankles if she wants. The top half isn’t bad either. It feels better. Not perfect, but better. She puts her shoes back on and wanders out into the shop.

Devon looks at her like she’s studying the latest fashion line, looking for flaws and wrinkles and anything else that might be wrong. Although she can be a bit ruthless about clothing, she’s never had many negative things to say about Nicole’s choices. Which is part of the reason that she brought her sister along. She knows that she will be brutally honest.

“It looks great,” Devon says.

“Yeah?” Nicole asks, releasing a big breath. She takes a few steps over to the mirror. Her long strides get her there in no time. Looking at her reflection, she sees something nice staring back at her. She thinks it would make Waverly happen to see her in this. But she thinks it just isn’t right, that Waverly deserves more. “I don’t know.”

“How do you feel in it?” Devon says.

“It feels ok,” Nicole replies.

“But...how do you feel?” Devon repeats.

Sighing and feeling dejected, Nicole runs a hand through her hair. Each red strand slowly falls back into place. She shakes her head and turns away from the person staring back at her. She can’t take that girl anymore.

“It just doesn’t feel right,” Nicole huffs.

“Why?” Devon asks, genuinely confused.

“This is stupid, isn’t it?” Nicole says suddenly. She drops onto the couch, leaning her back into the corner of it, and pulls a knee up onto the cushion. Absently, she begins to toy with her own fingers while staring at them like she can suddenly get some clarity. She knows she won’t. Devon follows her onto the couch and lightly touches her ankle, silently encouraging her to continue. “I feel like I’m just letting myself be put into this box and people don’t get it. Even I’m putting myself into this stupid box like, I don’t know, I’m not really supposed to have a wedding.”

“Oh,” Devon says slowly, “Listen, you don’t have to wear a suit. You can wear whatever you want.”

“Isn’t that my _role_ with this wedding? I don’t think I understand the rules anymore,” Nicole says with a huff.

“What rules?” Devon asks, “Rules are meant to be broken. You’ve always been a rule breaker.”

“I’m a cop,” Nicole replies, “I’m more like the rule enforcer.”

Devon laughs and squeezes Nicole’s ankle. After a moment of silence, she dips down and their eyes look more directly at each other. Her vision is a little cloudy, but she can still see her sister’s serious face.

“Don’t do this to yourself, you idiot,” Devon says, “That girl is so fucking in love with you that she doesn’t even care what you’re wearing. You could be wearing jeans and a t-shirt and she would still be happy to be up there with you.”

“I know,” Nicole says with a huff, “I just wanted to look nice for her. She doesn’t think I care about this wedding, but I do. I care about her more than anyone and she deserves the-“

The door chimes and breaks both of their attention away. The tension seems to loosen a bit when they notice its Rosita who can immediately tell she’s walked in on something. She smiles kindly yet approached with caution.

“Is everything ok?” She asks, voice quiet and concerned as she leans her elbows against the back of the couch.

“Nicole’s just having a breakdown about fitting into boxes,” Devon explains, a smirk spreading on her face.

“Fuck the boxes,” Rosita says, clearly frustrated at the topic. She always is though. One thing that gets Rosita on her soapbox is gender roles and the like. Nicole braces herself for that rant. “You are a badass bitch, Haught. You should do whatever you want.”

“Thanks,” Nicole says dryly.

“Let’s have a look around here to see if there’s anything else you might want to try on,” Devon says, jumping up quickly.

Reluctantly, Nicole follows their lead as they both begin sorting through the racks of white dresses. She kind of feels terrible about that too, like if she wears white it will just take the spotlight off of Waverly’s big day. Leave it to her to have a big wardrobe breakdown the day before she’s supposed to get married.

“Why are we looking at white dresses?” Nicole asks.

“Because it’s your wedding,” Rosita replies, “Now, go try this on.”

Nicole takes the lacy material dress into her grasp and heads back to the changing room as she’s told.

💘

Michelle Adams follows her daughter through the hotel while checking over every minute detail. Although her youngest has always been a planner, she handed over the reigns to possibly the biggest production of her life quite easily. At first, it had been quite alarming. As the months progressed though, Michelle started to figures that if her daughter was going to relinquish control then she needed a partner in crime to be accountable with.

And Lily has stepped up to the plate quite easily herself.

It was nice having someone to gush over all of the wedding things about. Wynonna has never cared about getting married. Waverly has always cared more about books. And Willa; well, when she married she had married someone with money so they had almost no say. She knows that they’ve gone a little over budget for this wedding but she knows her husband well enough to know that he would give their daughter anything.

“So, what do you think?” Lily asks Waverly.

Her daughter sighs that frustrated sigh and removes her sunglasses. Waverly pinches the bridge of her nose and stands incredibly still. It takes a few moments, but Michelle realizes that her daughter is crying.

“Honey,” Michelle hums, pressing a hand to Waverly’s back, “What’s wrong?”

“I just really wanted blue flowers,” she says. She blinks wildly like she’s trying to keep the tears at bay. Honestly, it isn’t like Waverly to cry over such a thing. She sees the bright side of everything. Even though she hears very little about the shenanigans the night before, she can tell that her youngest is incredibly hungover. “Blue is Nicole’s favorite color and she literally didn’t ask for anything so I wanted to do something nice.”

“The flower shop didn’t have enough,” Lily replies.

“Can you have them make my bouquet in blue?” Waverly asks.

“I’ll give them a call right away,” Michelle says. She wanders off to make the call but the phone just rings. Frustrated, she hangs up and makes her way back over. “They didn’t answer. I’m going to go over there right now. Are you two good here?”

“Yes, yeah,” Waverly says, “Thanks so much, Mama.”

“Anything for you, baby girl,” Michelle replies.

💘

After checking in with vendors, Robin, the Gardeners, and Jeremy (who insists on picking the music for the wedding), Waverly is in the front seat of her mom’s car to join her on the Friday afternoon excursion of child roundup. She hasn’t really had the opportunity to see either of her nieces so far this trip so she’s buzzing with excitement. This trip has been weird so far, between the tension with her sister and the demanding production that this wedding has become. At least one of those things is resolved.

Leaning heavily against the door, she peers out of the window to watch for the little girls as her mom creeps the car up the carpool line. There are so many little excited faces as children run to their familiar vehicles, undoubtedly looking forward to the weekend. Little do they know what a big weekend it is in this town. Not that her wedding is the event of the century, but her and Nicole’s upcoming nuptials are sort of a rare thing. There aren’t a lot of queer couples around here, if any.

Part of her hopes that she’ll set a positive example for her nieces, that love is love no matter who they fall in love with. If only it works out that way. They might both just be too little to remember this later on anyway. She makes a mental note to ask Kevin, her photographer, to take lots of pictures to show them as they grow up.

Two little girls rush the vehicle and Michelle unlocks the door as they approach. The door pops open and they both climb in, talking to each other like they haven’t even noticed anyone else. It makes Waverly laugh quietly to herself before she leans against the center console and turns to the backseat.

“Hi,” Waverly greets them.

“Hi, Aunt Waves,” Stella says, beaming widely. It surprises her for a moment. The little girl usually doesn’t acknowledge her presence until she’s about to leave again. She’s so lost in the attention from the shy child that she doesn’t even hear Alice. “Mommy said I’m getting a new aunt tomorrow.”

“If you want to call her that,” Waverly says, smiling despite the tears pricking the corners of her eyes, “I’m sure it would make Nicole feel special.”

“Is she here?” Alice asks.

“Not right now,” Waverly says, embellishing a pout, “But you’ll see her soon.”

“I miss her,” Stella replies.

Michelle laughs from the driver’s seat. Jealousy bubbles inside of her at how attached the little girl is to Nicole who she’s only spent a few days with. Waverly huffs in response, turning back towards the front of the car so she doesn’t get caught in the middle of her pity party.

“Damn her and her stupid charming dimples,” Waverly says under her breath.

“Oh, sweetie,” Michelle coos as she reaches over to absently pat Waverly’s leg.

“I was supposed to be the favorite aunt,” Waverly adds quietly.

Her mom only laughs again.

There’s chatter in the backseat all of the way back to her parents’ house. The little girls in their own little world warms her heart, reminds her of when she was younger. Her and Chrissy often sat in the backseat ignoring her older sisters in the front seat and talking like they were in their own little world. Most of the time they were. Most of the time Willa and Wynonna were in their own little world too. Waverly thinks that one day, when she has kids, she would like at 2 so they can always have each other through the thick of it.

As her mom turns into the street, she glances over to see Devon’s car is back into the driveway which means the other three are back from Nicole’s fitting. Climbing out of the car, she makes the decision to go back over there for a little bit. Maybe she can get some details from them between now and when she has to get ready for the rehearsal dinner.

“I’ll be back in a bit,” Waverly announces, popping open the car door.

“But Aunt Waves,” Stella whines and it almost makes her stay, “I thought we were going to play.”

“I’ll be back! We’re having a sleepover tonight, remember?” She says, voice a teasing tone.

“Then we can play?” Alice asks.

“For a bit,” Waverly confirms.

After the back and forth dies down to acceptance; Waverly is finally able to go back across the street. She knocks lightly, familiarly, as she pops the door open and wanders inside to find Nicole in the living room by herself. She gives the redhead a smile, letting her eyes trace over the frame of her long legged lady.

“Hey, you,” Waverly says. She glances at her watch as she closes the distance, smiling widely at the time. The final countdown has begun. Even though she’s nervous about standing in front of all of those people, she isn’t nervous about tying the knot. When she lifts her gaze back to Nicole, the woman’s hand is outstretched for her to take. Dutifully, she slips her hand into the waiting one and feels herself pulled into the redhead’s lap. She’s secured tightly in love and warmth and all of those fun, gooey feelings erupt in her belly. “Can you believe this time tomorrow we’re going to be married?”

“I know,” Nicole hums, joy evident in her tone as she sweeps Waverly’s hair away and places a kiss just below her ear, “It’s finally here. Are you nervous?”

“Not about you,” she reassures, “But, otherwise, I’m always nervous.”

“Cautious,” Nicole corrects, “How is the venue? All ready?”

“On schedule,” Waverly answers, shifting on the redhead’s lap to get a better look at her cute face, “How about you? Did you get your attire all picked out? Are you ready?”

“I’m ready,” the redhead replies, grinning so massively that she almost resembles an overly excited child or an animated character. Waverly laughs at that, carefully laying both palms against Nicole’s jaw. Her fiancée leans into the touch, favoring Waverly’s right hand over her left, and lets her eyes drift closed. “Very ready.”

“Awe, baby,” Waverly hums, leaning forward to place a lingering kiss against pink lips. It’s soft and gentle, but Nicole’s hands tighten at her thigh and back as the kiss deepens just a tad. Not too much, but enough to draw the breath out of her. She pulls back for air, resting her forehead against Nicole’s for a moment before she mutters, “Where are Dev and Rosie?”

“Going through Dev’s closet,” Nicole says with the cutest little laugh, “I guess trying clothes on really got them started.”

“But you picked something?” Waverly finds herself double checking.

“I did,” Nicole says. Her fingers trail over Waverly’s thigh, slow and enticing while the redhead’s eyes trace her very form. It’s almost like Nicole is falling in love with her all over again and it makes her feel something bright and bubbly. “I wanted to find something that you would like.”

“I like you,” the brunette reminds her, placing a chaste kiss on her mouth, “I better go get packed.”

Nicole pouts but doesn’t loosen her grasp. Warm hands slip beneath the hem of her shirt and the soft pads of Nicole’s fingers sweep along her skin in a desperate, gentle manner. Smirking, she pushes both hands against Nicole’s collarbones and stands up. She slides their fingers together slow yet deliberate, guiding her almost wife to follow her up to the bedroom.

As they walk up the stairs, they creak on that same spot that Waverly always remembers it doing that. Devon’s door is slightly propped open and she can hear the two women inside, talking, but decides not to bother them. Nicole’s clunky shoes pound loudly with each step she takes behind her, following her trail. She lets go of Nicole’s hand when they walk into the bedroom and the redhead promptly throws herself back on the mattress. It dramatically squeaks in response.

She leans down and starts throwing her clothes into her bag. She has a few items in the bathroom that she needs to get, given that the rest of their trip is just staying different places. For her, she’s staying at her parents tonight. The following night they’re staying at the hotel, then they set off for their 2 day honeymoon in Traverse City. It’s really more of just a weekend getaway. The destination wedding, for them anyway, really dug into Nicole’s vacation time.

“This is stupid,” Nicole grumbles, sitting up on her elbows.

“It’s tradition,” Waverly says.

“So what if I see you?” Nicole replies.

“That worked out so well for you before,” Waverly teases.

“Hey now,” Nicole says, voice dropping in slight defense, “I didn’t have a foundation with her.”

“It’s superstition,” Waverly tries again.

Everything in the room is packed now and all she has left is the stuff in the bathroom. She doesn’t even need it considering there’s a hair and makeup team to get her all out together tomorrow, but leaving it behind is just one other thing for Nicole to take care of.

“But sleeping without you sucks,” Nicole says with a groan. She drops back onto the bed again and Waverly can’t help chuckling at the pathetic sight before her. She steps between Nicole’s knees, resting heavily against the mattress as she peers at her fiancée’s face. “I feel like I didn’t sleep at all the last time you were gone.”

“It’s just one night,” Waverly coos. She pushes her hands against Nicole’s knees and slides them up and up and up until her thumbs brush the seam of her jeans. The redhead’s hips squirm as she looks down her nose, gaze narrowing in a silent yet sharp warning. “You can sleep one night without me.”

Huffing, Nicole reaches out and draws her in. Their fronts press together as her fiancée’s thighs tighten at her waist and hold her in place. She swallows thickly, eyes trailing along her prominent jawline. Nicole’s fingers slip beneath the shirt at her arm, and she says, “But I don’t want to.”

“You’re a big baby,” Waverly says, chuckling softly. Shaking her head, she leans down and lays a kiss against Nicole’s exposed collarbone and trails them upward until she presses one against her mouth. Her lips part almost instinctively, the kiss swiftly deep before they part. “We really don’t have time to get into this.”

“I know,” Nicole replies with another groan, throwing herself back on the bed in defeat.

“Come on, Sweetie,” Waverly hums, “Carry my bag for me?”

“I guess,” Nicole says with a dramatic sigh.

She grabs the rest of her things from the bathroom and shoves them into her open bag, zipping it up easily. Nicole sits up slowly, giving Waverly a tired smile. She feels a tinge of sadness at parting with the person she shares her bed with every night, something she’s been trying to mask. Her mind has been on so many other things that it hadn’t quite had a chance to sink in yet.

As they pass Devon’s bedroom door, she notes that it sounds much more quiet now. Although she’s curious; she decides to give them their space and if either of them want to tell her anything then they will. One glance behind her tells her that Nicole is clutching her bag tightly by the handle as they approach the stairs. Nicole’s steps are heavy with disappointment, but she chooses to ignore them.

Their walk across the street is silent and neither of them bother speaking until they get into the privacy of Waverly’s bedroom. But, even then, they hardly say anything. The air between them is thick despite their nuptials being in less than 24 hours, like the disappointment of spending the night apart is just too much.

Although Waverly hasn’t voiced her displeasure, she feels it deep in her bones. It compels her to lean into the redhead’s chest and breathe her in deeply, she slides her arms around her skin waist and they stand there in a tight hug until two little girls run in and interrupt them. As the attention is ripped away from her, all she thinks is that she’s glad she’s marrying the person of her dreams.

💘

She looks at herself in the mirror, a red dress with a low v cut in the front hugging her from. It isn’t Wynonna’s first choice. Hell, it probably isn’t even her second. She would prefer a little something that didn’t quite accentuate all of her features. But, Haught was right about one thing. Waverly is only doing this once and for her baby sister she will endure a little bit of looking sexy. Even though she doesn’t exactly have a date.

All of this wedding stuff has had her thinking about whatever is going on in her own life. She’s never really needed marriage. She saw what it did to her own parents. They couldn’t get along until his dad drank and drank and drank himself to oblivion. But she’s had Julian for a long time and he’s been a good dad to her and her sisters, and a good grandpa to her daughter. He’s been her dad every time she needed him and that’s why she’s scared. If she commits to John, she’ll have to be a big girl and move out. She doesn’t know if she can do that.

But she loves John. He’s nice and strong and he’s a good dad. He knows how to take care of things around the house. He isn’t terrible to have around. She just doesn’t like the idea of being tied down.

Every friend she’s ever had that has a relationship end up in marriage results in quite a boring lifestyle. She doesn’t want that for herself. Hell, she doesn’t want that for Waverly either. But something about John is familiar and normal and nice.

There’s a knock on her door that startles her. Glancing over her shoulder, she sees her ex looking dapper in a pair of slacks and a nice button up shirt. His mustache is trimmed and his hat is settled perfectly on his head, a smile kindly gracing his mouth.

“Sorry to interrupt,” he says, voice gentle.

“It’s fine,” Wynonna replies, shaking her head softly.

“I must say,” John hums, “You’re looking awfully pretty.”

“Do I know how to pick ‘Em or what?” Wynonna asks with a smirk.

“You’ve always known how to pick ‘Em, darlin’,” he replies.

“Yeah, I’m not so sure about that,” Wynonna mumbles, her mood dropping quite quickly. Although she isn’t sure marriage is for her, there’s a certain sense of loneliness that she’s sort of tired of tackling alone. Part of her wonders why exactly they just can’t make it work. “Why can’t we make it work?”

“We’ll find our way,” he says, reassuringly. At the same time, they sit slowly on the bed. Their thighs touch and Wynonna remembers what it’s like to be so close to someone. She likes him, she really does. “These things just take time.”

“Waverly didn’t take time,” Wynonna says, “She knew exactly who she wanted to spend the rest of her life with and just went for it.”

“That is her way,” John says with a smile, “She sees what she wants and she goes after it until she gets it. You’re more of a free spirit.”

“And what are you?” Wynonna asks.

“I am a patient man,” John says with a wink, “And I will wait until you say you’re ready.”

“For what?” Wynonna asks.

“For whatever,” he answers with a shrug.

“Daddy!” Alice tells before the conversation can continue. Wynonna sighs as her daughter launches herself into John’s arms and he catches her easily. For a moment, she feels guilty for kissing the stripper last night. For a moment, she wishes that John were just here and she could come home to him and they could do what they used to do. “Will you be my date?”

“I would love to be your date,” he says, pulling Alice into his lap. He holds her with such care. Her little hands circle his neck and Wynonna smiles at that.

Absently, she thinks about when she discovered she was pregnant. They had been casual and it sort of threw them together. Maybe that’s been her problem all along, that she felt like she didn’t have a choice. Even if that’s true, something keeps pulling her back to him.

💘

Nicole Haught does her best to be all calm and collected and good spirits, but there’s something about waiting for her future wife at the end of the aisle that really gets her nerves flowing. Even if it is just practice. Maybe their first mistake had been not practicing this at home. Her second was most definitely not preparing herself for the wedding. It’s hitting her now, right here, with close friends and family staring at her while Robin stands behind her. At least she has Devon and Rosita and Dolls.

She chances a glance over at Chrissy who immediately sticks her tongue out in her direction. Rolling her eyes in response, Nicole is silently thankful for the break in her thoughts. She sucks in a deep breath, her lungs rattling in her chest like she’s never breathed properly before in her life. She immediately using her best tactics to calm herself down, a quick count to 5 and an age old habit of running a hand through her hair. She chastises herself, realizing that this is not the time or the place to give show her nervous ticks.

She tucks both hands behind her back and folds them together, bouncing from heel to toe. Collectively, everyone in the room turns. to face the entryway. Tomorrow will surely go just like this, all eyes in the room falling on Waverly. She has that charisma, the one where everyone looks at her no matter who else is in the room.

Their eyes catch from across the room and she smiles at the brunette. It manages to calm her down a bit, her feet firmly planting on the ground beneath her. It isn’t like this is the real thing anyway. There’s still a few hours until that moment comes.

The other woman’s presence in the room makes all of Nicole’s her own anxieties fade into the background, the distance between them rapidly closing, she extends her hand in Waverly’s direction and the brunette easily finds it. She feels a gentle touch against her muscle, fingers skating down her arm until it’s tight in Waverly’s grasp. She expels a breath and gets through the rehearsal much easier with Waverly at her side. In fact, it moves quite smoothly.

At the dinner, the guests get to choose between vegan tacos and fish tacos. Wynonna insists on going against that and demands nachos which Alice and Stella readily agrees. Waverly is visibly frustrated, but hides it well enough. Only Nicole can really tell. At least so she thinks.

Waverly eventually gets over it, immersing herself in chatter with friends and family. Alice and Stella come over to drag Nicole into their games. For a brief moment, Waverly attempts to convince her that she can say no, but she insists that it’s fine.

While away from Waverly, her mind wanders. Even with the distraction of 2 little girls vieing for her attention. She’s able to split it enough that they don’t go into full on tantrum mode, at least until Alice gets visibly too tired. Thankfully, Stella wanders off to tell Waverly she has a pretty dress.

Nicole uses the opportunity to scoop Alice up and search for her parents. The girl is a little heavy as she sits on the redhead’s hip, grasping onto her neck quite easily. She’s a little old to be carried, but the last thing Nicole wants to deal with is a meltdown. She definitely isn’t equipped for that.

After not immediately spotting either of her parents, Nicole makes her way out of the dining room and heads down the hall. Alice sits up suddenly, tugging on Nicole’s collar of her sweater. She says, “What is married?”

“It just means that me and your Aunt Waves are going to be together forever,” Nicole answers without thinking. She hesitates, brain lingering on that thought. The fear she felt earlier creeps back in, taking over her thought process. Thankfully, she spots Wynonna and John in a compromising situation. “Look! Your parents!”

She immediately gets a glare from Wynonna as she pulls her mouth away from John’s, lipstick smeared on her face. Nicole sets Alice down and lets her run at her parents, turning on her heel to rush back to the party. She has to find Waverly. She needs her.

She rushes back into the dining room where Waverly is talking to Robin. They seem to be pretty deep into the conversation and she doesn’t want to interrupt, but she watches Waverly’s eyes do a little crinkle when she notices her. The brunette reaches out for her almost as though on instinct and she can’t help taking the hand offered to her. She steadies her breathing, focusing on Waverly’s hand settled perfectly in hers for a moment.

“The traditional vows are still ok?” Robin asks.

“Huh?” She asks, blinking as she looks at his face. He is smiling patiently and her gaze flits from him to her fiancée. Waverly squeezes her hand and it pulls her out of the hollows, catching up rather quickly. She waves a hand in the air and says, “Yeah, of course.”

“Are you ok?” Waverly says, eyebrows furrowing and voice dropping low. Robin pulls his lips back in an _eek_ motion and takes a step back. Her mouth drops open, confused at his abrupt exit, but Waverly doesn’t even give him a glance. “You’re pale.”

“That’s the color of my skin,” Nicole replies, calm and cool and collected. Waverly huffs and lifts her arm, placing her forearm against Nicole’s forehead. She recoils in response, quickly lifting her hand to pull Waverly’s arm away. “What are you doing?”

“You just look,” Waverly starts, shying away, “Uncomfortable.”

“I _am_ uncomfortable,” Nicole says, scoffing. The pressure weighs heavily on her shoulders, reminding her that tomorrow she will become someone’s wife. Something she failed miserably at the first time. Bending at her knees, she leans closer to the brunette’s ear and says, “Your niece keeps asking me what getting married means.”

“Oh, sweetie,” Waverly retorts sympathetically. The lilt in her voice tugs at Nicole’s heart strings, pulling her out of her baseless and thoughtless worries. The brunette’s strong hand taps at her back, palm rubbing lazy circles against it. “You’re amazing; you know that?”

“I don’t know what to say,” she squeaks defensively, “I just keep saying it means we’ll be together forever.”

Panic rises again. She’s promising children things she can’t even be sure of. She only hopes that, one day, they will understand if it turns out she really is just a terrible wife. All of the love in the world doesn’t guarantee anything, not even that she’ll be able to show up when it’s most important.

She sighs, frustrated and scared and suddenly not understanding the woman she’s going to marry one bit.

“Babe,” Waverly says calmly, hands settling on her hips, “That little girl loves you. I’m pretty sure she would push me out of the way if she knew marriage was having a sleepover every night.”

“Not tonight,” Nicole reminds her, pouting as her entire body relents in defeat. She lays her hands on Waverly’s arms and pushes them up, skin soft beneath the pads of her fingers. The cool skin wears her down and she’s back to forgetting that being a wife isn’t something she was very good at the first time. “It really sucks.”

Waverly laughs softly and pushes up on her toes, placing a gentle kiss against her mouth. Her brain shuts down, thankfully, and all of the thoughts rush out of it. Lips parting automatically, her tongue darts out to run along the seam of Waverly’s lips. The brunette responds and they kiss slow and long because they can.

Because tomorrow is their wedding day.

Nicole chokes and it brings the kiss to a halt, sputtering what little air is left in her lungs against Waverly’s mouth. Panic touches the other woman’s features and she moves around to clap against the redhead’s back, determined to help her breathe again. Her lungs start working again slowly, but she still feels like she’s drowning.

“What’s wrong with you?” Waverly asks, concerned once again.

“Nothing, baby,” Nicole hums, calm and cool and collected enough that her charisma and her dimple can do their jobs, “I’m just tired.”

“Then you should sleep tonight,” Waverly replies with a grin.

Nicole groans. It just doesn’t sit right with her, the feelings settling deep in her stomach and pounding and swirling like she’s in the middle of the ocean. She feels a little like the floor is falling from beneath her, but she really hopes that she can just grin and bear it. She just needs to get through this night and it will all be alright tomorrow.

Except when she gets back to her parents’ house and sits in the cold, dark bedroom, she can’t sleep and the feeling of helplessness only increases.


	5. Something Blue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed this as much as I did.

The sun is shining and the birds are chirping and two little girls are stealing her blankets so she’s extremely cold, especially without her bonus blanket. But she cannot sleep any longer because the excitement is speed racing through her. Checking the clock, Waverly realizes that it’s just before 8:30 and the house seems to be somewhat quiet. Surprisingly so.

The two little girls in her bed are still sound asleep, not even budging a little bit as she moves off of the mattress. She grabs Nicole’s sweater from her bag, the one she got from the academy that Waverly took claim of years ago, and pulls it on before making her way to the bedroom door. She leaves the door cracks as she exits, gaze narrowing when she spots John leaving Wynonna’s bedroom and closing the door quietly. Hiding a smile behind her sleeve, she gives John a polite nod before making her way down the stairs.

The boards creak beneath her soft steps as the smell of coffee floats through the air and surrounds her. It’s a warm, fuzzy smell the quells the churning in her stomach. At least for the time being.

She had trouble falling asleep the night before, nerves buzzing with the gentle reminder of the upcoming day. For a little while, she had the distraction of _Frozen II_ playing on the tablet as she held it for her nieces to watch. However, blissfully so, they had promptly fell asleep which forced her to go at it alone. She truly hadn’t blamed them. They weren’t familiar with weddi jitters. Part of her envied them.

She finally fell asleep far later than intended and the fatigue is weighing on her. There’s a busy day ahead of her, one of socializing and entertaining when all she really wants to do is spend the day with her new wife. Of one thing she is certain: getting married to Nicole will be the easiest thing she’s ever done.

Drifting in the direction of the fresh coffee smell, Waverly rounds the corner to the kitchen and sees her dad. He’s at the stove and cooking up something that smells delicious, but her stomach turns at the thought of actually eating it. Her nerves begin to feel a little out of control as brain wakes up slowly, and she swallows thickly in an attempt clear the sleep.

“Morning, Daddy,” Waverly says.

“Oh, sweetie,” he greets cheerfully, turning from his task of cooking, “Good morning! Yau hungry?”

Waverly’s stomach tightens again and she looks past him to get a better look at the food on the stove. None of it really looks like something she can eat anyway so she shakes her head lightly and reaches for a mug out of the cabinet. She sets it onto the counter with a loud sound and takes the coffee pot, pouring out a generous amount.

“I don’t think I can eat any of that,” Waverly admits.

“Right,” her father says, “I’ll cook you up something special.”

“Just coffee,” she insists.

“Nervous?” Julian surmises.

Taking a sip, Waverly nods slowly. The hot liquid burns her tongue at the speed she tries to drink it, her throat aching almost instantly as it makes the journey down to her stomach. It swirls inside of her belly, touching each and every nerve until she feels just a little bit nauseous. She looks up at the house across the street and it helps calm her a little just thinking of Nicole there, getting ready for their big day.

She smiles wistfully at the feel of her dad’s hand on her shoulder blade, a soothing touch that pulls her out of her reverie. Turning to lean against the countertop, Waverly watches her dad turn off the stove and push all of the food aside. The house is full, but even with that knowledge he pushes everything aside to be there for her. He immediately steps forward and envelopes her into a hug. His arms are tight and his warmth oozes out, comforting her the way that he always has.

“It’s normal to be nervous,” he says.

“I know, Daddy,” Waverly murmurs, mug discarded beside her as her arms squeeze him back, “I think they’re good nerves.”

“Marrying your mom was scary,” he replies, “I don’t think anyone would judge you if you were scared.”

“Excited,” she corrects. They pull apart and the kitchen begins to flood with people - her mom, her sisters, her nieces, and even John. The noise frowns out her thoughts, which she appreciates as she sips on her coffee and looks up at Nicole’s bedroom window. She washes out her mug and places it into the dishwasher. “I’m gonna go shower.”

She lingers in the doorway as she glances back at her family, feeling a different sort of sadness take residence in the hollows of her chest at the sight of their bond without her. Times like these, she wishes she could move back and be with them. But her life isn’t in Michigan. It’s in New York, with Nicole, where they both have the jobs they had dreamed of as children.

💘

Devon Haught wakes up to the sound of her door creaking open. She blinks and blinks and blinks so she can wake herself up, but her brain is just a little slow. Perhaps she had stayed awake far too late developing the biggest crush of her life on the most amazing yet unattainable woman she’s ever met. It’s probably that. No, definitely that.

Finally, her eyes adjust without her glasses. She only wears them when she doesn’t have her contacts in, which she doesn’t since sleep and all. So, blindly, she fumbles on the nightstand for the little helpers and uses her other hand to sit up. With the vision help she needs squared away on her nose, the blurry shape takes form and she sees that same beauty from her dreams.

“Oh my god,” the woman hums softly, “You’re adorable.”

“Rosita?” Devon says, voice thick with sleep, “What’s going on?”

“Oh, right,” Rosita says, straightening up slightly, “Your sister isn’t in her room. Do you have any idea where she might be?”

“What?” Devon asks, mouth dry as she stares at the prettiest woman she’s ever seen. She can’t help looking down at herself and she is very glad that she put on a t-shirt and pajama pants last night instead of her usual bedtime attire. Too soon to be _that_ vulnerable. “Where is she?”

“That’s what I’m asking you, silly,” Rosita replies teasingly, voice soft and smile kind. Devon sighs, slightly embarrassed that her brain isn’t quite working. The other woman laughs, a jolting sound that seems to make Devon feel more alive. “You’re super cute when you first wake up.”

“Oh,” Devon says, pressing her hands against her face and feeling the heat there. She shakes her head slowly before she finally gets her flush under control. After sliding out of bed, she looks down at Rosita, the gentle warmth in her gaze enough to make her almost stop caring about her missing sister at all. Suddenly, it all just clicks and she stands a little straighter. “I swear to god if my sister bailed on her wedding day I will literally kill her.”

“She wouldn’t,” Rosita says, demeanor completely changing.

“She can be a bit unpredictable,” Devon replies with a mild grin, “She did move to New York to be a cop just because she didn’t want our dad telling her what to do.”

“Where can we find her?” Rosita asks again.

“I don’t know,” Devon says, sighing again, “But we better find her.”

They part ways, both changing into more appropriate clothing for the colder temperature so they can go off on their adventure. They still have a few hours before they have to be at the hotel, but there’s no telling how long it will take to find Nicole. And when they do, there’s no telling how long it will take to convince her to go to married to the love of her life.

💘

The time ticks away slowly as it approaches the happiest moment in her life. The person reflected back it her in the mirror wears the brightest smile, practically radiating with joy. Although her stomach still swirls in excitement, nerve endings buzzing in anticipation, she still knows that she will be seeing the love of her life beaming back at her in no time at all. That makes all of the nerves worth it.

“Do you like the dress?” Her mother asks.

“I love it,” Waverly hums.

“Are you sure you’re ok not altering it?” Michelle double checks.

“It’s your dress,” Waverly replies.

“It’s your dress now,” Michelle says.

“Maybe Wynonna will wear it someday,” Waverly says, thinking about how maybe, just maybe, her older sister has found her way back to John. Her mother snorts, twisting at Waverly’s hair to really buff up the curls. After her hair is done, they’re moving on to the makeup. She doesn’t even know why she cares. Nicole likes her best with a fresh face. “She might!”

“That girl is never getting married,” Michelle says, “And, if she does, she’s going down to the courthouse in her ripped jeans and leather jacket.”

“Mama,” Waverly finds herself chastising, “She can rock a dress.”

Before her mother can reply; there’s a gentle knock on the door and all of her bridesmaids flood in. Chrissy looks like she’s floating on a cloud, almost happier than Waverly herself. Willa has a tight, kind smile but she can see the encouragement behind her eyes. Wynonna has a scowl, almost as though she knew that they were talking about her.

“Damn, your hair is going to be bigger than Texas,” Wynonna says. Waverly really looks at herself in the mirror now, checking to make sure that is absolutely not true. She just wanted her hair to have body. “I brought you something.”

“You did?” Waverly asks, a little surprised.

Wynonna turns to dig through the massive bag she’s brought into the room with her, settled on the chair in the corner. Waverly watches intently, waiting patiently despite her racing heart. If only it were exclusively because of the surprise and not because she’s about to get married. She thought this day would never come and yet, here she is, marrying the sweetest most thoughtful human being she’s ever met.

“Aha!” Wynonna proclaims. She turns quickly and clutches on her hands something pink. Waverly holds her breath as her eyes trace her sister’s form, an uncommonly shy smile on her face. “I thought it was like your thing, but if you don’t want to wear it then that’s cool too.”

“Did you get me a flower crown?” Waverly asks, eyes widening.

“Awe,” Willa coos. It earns her a glare from Wynonna. Chrissy stifles a giggle.

“Shut up,” Wynonna growls quietly.

“It’s sweet;” Waverly adds, “Can I put it on?”

“I think we’re done,” Michelle says.

A phone starts ringing and everyone panics, the sweet moment effectively interrupted. Everyone checks their phones, including Waverly despite the sound not being a familiar one to her, but it seems that Chrissy is the winner. She looks at the screen with a pensive face but quickly covers it up with a smile.

“I gotta take this,” Chrissy announces, “But when I get back we’re doing your makeup.”

Chrissy turns on her heel but Waverly hears a very disturbing _She what?_ before her best friend leaves the room.

💘

Although it is October, the cold front is definitely rolling into Purgatory and making itself known. However true that may be, Nicole just feels numb. With her hands buried deep into her pockets, hair flowing in the wind, she stares off of the cliff at the vast emptiness below. It is not the deepest of canyons she’s climbed by far, but it is the place that sparked her love of the thrilling adventure that guided her early 20s.

She has scaled this cliff a few times. If only she had her gear she could scale it now. She could lower herself into the place hardly treaded and explore, clearing her mind from every insecurity that has haunted her all night.

After sneaking out of her parents house, Waverly’s bedroom lights across the street turned off as she peaked through the window, she wandered around Purgatory and visited all of the familiar places. For a long time, she didn’t fit in. She was popular and she was known but she was not necessarily accepted. Her childhood had been confusing but she had felt loved. No one would dare say anything negative to her for fear of her dad, and Randy Nedley has been the best one she could ask for.

He took her to this very cliff and introduced her to the world in a brand new way. It was shortly after he married her mom, before she really viewed him as her dad. Back when she thought he was tangible and he too would disappear from her life like her own dad. He proved her wrong, thankfully, and she couldn’t have asked for a better dad in the world.

She had tried to model herself after him, basing her decisions off of the way that he empowered her to be strong and kind. She had always tried to bring that into her relationships. It hasn’t always worked out too well with Shae. Their marriage had been busy and most of it was spent apart. Although she knows it came from both sides, she can’t help her mind getting stuck on her own part in it all. She had been a terrible wife and there truly isn’t anything keeping her from being a terrible wife to Waverly, too.

She sighs and pulls her legs towards her chest. Her jeans feel gross after wearing them for hours upon hours, walking around town without an actual destination in mind. It’s no surprise she landed here with the best view of the sunrise in all of Purgatory. Checking her watch, she sighs in frustration. This feeling has been drowning her all night, exhaustion nipping at her harshly.

She stands and wanders away from the cliff, finding a tree to park under for some shade. The last thing she needs is a red face from a sunburn. Digging in her pockets, she finds the unopened package of cigarettes she purchased from the gas station a few hours ago. She quit smoking long ago, but the urge now is pulling her hard. The taste of nicotine would settle onto her tongue and stick to her fingers. After quitting, she became a social smoker, but Waverly didn’t even like that so she eventually quit.

She would do anything for Waverly.

After feeling a nudge on her ankle, she peels her eyes open. She blinks three or four times before her vision is clear enough to make out the figure in front of her. The man is familiar with his frown and his mustache and his dark eyes showing patience. It rattles her like she’s a child again.

“Dad?” She croaks out.

“Daughter,” he says, voice even and powerful. It makes her skin crawl in defeat, like she’s being reprimanded. Her legs are stiff so she stretches, but even that movement feels caked with guilt. “What are you doin’ under that tree?”

Her gaze drops and she looks around, hands fisting the grass and raking through the morning dew. She feels cramped and tired and like a complete fool. When she looks back up at her dad, she does not feel harshly judged but she does feel his love and concern.

“What time is it?” She asks, voice hoarse.

“Time for you to make a decision,” he replies.

“Huh?” She mutters, words caught in her brain, in her throat, unable to form thoughts. She squints momentarily before pulling her legs towards her, planting her feet firmly on the ground, and standing up straight at her body’s protest. Her spine cracks as she stretches and she feels every bit of her age. “How did you find me?”

“I’m your dad,” he says simply. She can’t say anything. Her brain is too foggy, trying to put the pieces together but she can’t. Checking her watch, she notes that it’s later in the day than she thought. She must have fallen asleep against the tree for a good amount of time which makes perfect sense as to why her body does not want to cooperate. “Why are you running?”

“I’m not,” she groans. Sucking in a deep breath, Nicole scrubs at her face and lets the heels of her palms dig in to her eyes. They are crusty and heavy and tired like she stayed up too late studying for a final. It reminds her of when she was too nervous for the SAT and she couldn’t sleep. “I’m just...I didn’t make a very good wife the first time.”

“You were young and impulsive,” he reasons, “We all make mistakes the first time. What’s important is learning from them.”

Nicole huffs in response, dragging her hands through her disheveled hair. It feels gross beneath her fingers, out of control and twisting around itself. She needs a shower. Well, she needs a lot. And, now that her mind is less foggy, she’s on the verge of a panic attack again. What if she royally screws up again and she loses Waverly forever? After all, her and Shae didn’t work because of her.

“Let’s go,” Randy says, voice gentle yet firm at the same time.

She complies because she can’t really think of a reason not to. Climbing into the cab of his truck, she almost forgets what it’s like to put in so much effort when she’s this tired. The car ride is quick and quiet. It’s almost like neither of them even know what to say to each other. Nicole doesn’t even know where to start.

He pulls onto the old, familiar street and her eyes are drawn to the house across from their own. The driveway is empty and the sight makes her stomach clench tightly, a pain tugging in an intense ache. She feels immensely guilty on so many different levels which only makes her chest feel an overwhelming amount of pressure. She sucks in a deep breath to combat it, but her vision blurs slightly.

When the car stops, Nicole can’t move. Her body feels too heavy and it takes her dad opening the car door and escorting her into the house for her to move. The house is quiet when they enter through the garage, her sisters and mom aren’t here, and it’s just her alone with the man who has been her father for every important moment of her life.

“Dad?” She says, voice hollow and heavy as it carries through the empty house, “I’m scared.”

“Nothing to be scared about,” Randy replies, “It’s just a shower.”

Nodding slowly, Nicole climbs the stairs to get to her room. She grabs a fresh change of clothes from her room, some joggers and a sweatshirt, before going to the bathroom. She showers quickly for fear of getting in her own head again, mind staying focused on the task at hand. If she doesn’t think about her past or her future, she can get through the present.

Once she exits the bathroom and heads into her bedroom, she finds her dad sitting on the bed. He smiles tightly, not really giving her much room to squirm. He’s always been good at being a brick wall, at not budging when things get stressful. Briefly, she thinks it’s no wonder he had a heart attack with the way that he buries everything deep down inside of him.

“What next?” She mutters.

“You get back in the truck,” he replies, voice unwavering, “It’s just one step at a time.”

“One step at a time,” she repeats.

She pushes out a heavy sigh, one that reverberates in her chest and travels all of the way to her fingertips. After zipping up her bag, she grabs it by the handle and gives her dad a nod. She follows his lead back through the house, the garage, and back to the truck. A chance of a glance at the house across the street reminds her of what’s to come next.

The ride to the hotel feels long. At once point, she even considers jumping out at a stoplight but stops herself from doing so just to not give her dad another heart attack. When they arrive to the hotel, it already seems busy with people. The breath catches in her throat, her dad having to place both hands on her shoulders to guide her forward until she realizes she’s being handed off to her sister.

“What the hell, Nicole Rayleigh Haught,” Devon whisper yells, “You’re an idiot.”

Nicole doesn’t argue with her. She absolutely is an idiot for many, many reasons. Years ago she had said she would never get married again. Throughout her relationship with Waverly she had forgotten all of the reasons why that was, mostly because everything had been absolutely perfect. Even their arguments were easily resolved with a little bit of healthy communication.

Thankfully, her sister drowns out the silence and she can’t drift anymore.

💘

“Are you ready, Sweetie?” Julian asks.

Waverly expels a breath, body shaking as she does. Time is moving so slowly, like it has stopped just to torture her. She is so close to moving into the next chapter of her life, of anniversaries and promises to the future and endless possibilities. Smiling, she blinks wildly at the closed door and imagines what might be on the other side.

“I’m ready,” Wavery says.

She’s none the wiser to Nicole’s experience. She doesn’t know that she spent all night wandering around the city, head a complete mess and unable to get things straight. What she does know is that when she steps through those doors, she will see the woman who has made her feel complete and so warm with love.

The common song is playing on the other side of the door, the fade of it lingering for just a moment before it gets louder, the hint of tradition beckoning her forward. Together, her and her father, they step forward, her dad’s hand grasped tightly around hers. He keeps her steady, again, giving her warmth and love and support just as he always has.

For a moment, she thinks about all of the times he took her to the city to see the museums. She thinks of when he would tend to her wounds with kindness and calmness. She thinks of his soft voice lulling her to sleep when she was a child and tucking her into her safe place. She thinks of his love and his comfort and the way she always felt like she was exactly where she belonged due to his encouragement.

When the door opens though, every thought leaves her brain as he eyes sweep around the room and drink in every bit of peace before her. In doesn’t take long for her eyes to lock on the beautiful redhead standing at the other end of the room. Her heart beats faster, the dried tears on her cheeks warming as her vision blurs again.

Despite the worry blooming in her chest, she smiles softly. She can barely see, but Nicole seems to be smiling much wider in her beautiful, white dress that stops above her knee. It’s been so long since she’s seen the other woman in a dress that Waverly’s eyes trace those long legs like she’s forgotten what they look like.

A lump catches in her throat and the sounds in the room becomes a low hum as the distance between them becomes smaller and smaller, yet Waverly doesn’t actually feel like she’s moving.

She blinks and a tear falls down her face, wet and warm on her cheek as it paints a trail to her chin until it drops to the ground. Silently, she curses herself for crying, but she’s always felt things strongly. Nicole always tells her that she loves that about her.

Her dad squeezes her arm and it brings her out of her reverie, out of her love drunk haze and into the realm of reality. She’s still standing on the outside of it, looking in at everything before her and watching from her dreamland. As she memorizes Nicole in this moment, reality begins to creep even more into her mind. Her heart hammers wildly against her ribcage as the words replay in her head, _We found Nicole_. She had been missing.

“Baby,” She croaks out softly.

The voice doesn't sound like her own. It sounds so distant and unfamiliar that she shudders at the sound. Her dad squeezes her arm again, getting her attention easily. She blinks as her gaze whips from Nicole to him and back to the redhead.

“Hey,” Nicole says softly, suddenly right in front of her and pulling her forward, “I’m right here.”

Waverly laughs dumbly in the back of her throat, eyes so tight that she can barely see Nicole’s tear stained cheeks.

Words sound distant. She can’t really make out the sound of anyone else’s voice and when her dad lets go of her, Nicole is the one holding her up. Her gaze drops to the floor as she watches her feet move up the stairs. Each step is taken with care, with support, and with many pairs of eyes on her.

When her feet plant on the floor, she feels sturdy enough to look up. Every inch of the woman who has her heart clouds her vision even more, the sight of her making waves in her stomach. Despite knowing that something had happened with her this morning, just seeing the redhead makes everything inside of her calm and melt and swoon at the same time.

“Wow,” Waverly says, awestruck and dopey as a very specific dose of anxiety hits her, “You look...wow.”

Nicole laughs, more like a sputtering or breath as she wipes at Waverly’s eyes before clasping both of her hands. The entire room is silent as they stare at each other, as she gains her bearings and tries to find her voice. Nicole’s hands are warm on hers and her gaze is soft and her smile draws Waverly in just as it always does.

“You’re so beautiful,” Nicole whispers.

Cheeks warming, Waverly looks away. Her eyes land on Robin, smiling patiently and encouragingly. It reminds her that they aren’t alone. She swallows thickly as she tries to compose herself, finally managing to pull it together for just a moment. She tugs her bottom lip between her teeth and looks back at Nicole, finding it inside of herself to get back into the moment.

Robin begins speaking but the words don’t quite register in her brain. She knows what he’s saying, knows that his speech is an introduction of love and his experience with them as a couple. But they don’t quite click in her brain. All she can think about is what Nicole might be thinking, wishing they could just say what’s on their minds.

“Nicole,” She whispers, eyes watering again, “Do you want to do this?”

She blinks and watches as Nicole looks around. Following the other woman’s traveling eyes, she looks at Robin who only briefly hesitates before he continues speaking to the rest of the room. When they lock eyes again, Nicole bends at her knees and says, “Yes. I want to marry you.”

“Ok,” Waverly says with a relieved sigh.

Robin continues, this time the anxiety no longer clogging her ability to hear.

“Nicole?” He says.

Nicole squeezes her hands and Waverly watches as she tilts her head, that dreamy look crossing her features. Her hair falls around her face, curling around her chin, and her eyes pop with the layer of eye liner she’s wearing. Waverly’s heartbeat speeds up in anticipation for what the other woman might say, Nicole always having a knack for words. Meanwhile, she had to write her vows on paper to make sure she really got them right.

“Waves, Waverly, I have never loved anyone the way that I love you. You’re smart, funny, sexy,” Nicole says. She pauses and Waverly blushes at being called sexy with so many people watching, but it’s from Nicole so it still feels safe somehow. “I’m so lucky to have found you, to have someone who makes me feel so whole and so wanted and so safe. I promise to always make you feel wanted and safe. I promise to always ask for an extra blanket, just in case you get cold. I promise to be there when you need me and even when you don’t. And I promise to love you for the rest of my life.”

The words sink in slowly and when they finally hit her chest, she pushes up onto her toes to press a kiss to Nicole’s mouth.

“I love you so much,” Nicole murmurs against her mouth as she pulls back.

“Waverly?” Robin says encouragingly, reminding her of what they practiced the night before.

“Nicole Rayleigh Haught,” Waverly starts, pressing down onto her heels, “A wise man once told me that you fall in love with someone who has all of the best qualities of your favorite people, and you have all of them. You’re smart, supportive, sweet and thoughtful. You love with your entire heart and not a day goes by that I don’t feel lucky to have you by my side. You’re everything I could have wanted and I can’t wait for us to do this together.”

“Oh, baby,” Nicole hums gently, tears pricking the corner of her eyes. Waverly’s pretty sure they’re both crying. The emotions are flowing freely and she couldn’t care to be embarrassed anymore. “You are the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

“You can’t cry,” Waverly says, breaking a hand free to wipe at loose tears, “You’re my rock. If you cry, I’m going to cry.”

“Should we do the rings?” Robin interjects.

Glancing behind her, Waverly looks at Wynonna who gives her a thumbs up and a little wink. She’s honestly impressed that her sister has been this good the entire time. Laughing gently, she takes the ring from her and turns back to Nicole. Her almost wife is waiting patiently for her, always with encouragement and excitement.

Taking Nicole’s hand in here, she poises the ring over her ring finger.

“Waverly, repeat after me,” Robin says, “With this ring, I thee wed...”

“With this ring, I thee wed,” Waverly repeats, voice steady and sure.

“And with it, I bestow upon thee all the treasures of my mind, heart, and hands,” Robin says.

Eyes darting between them redhead’s hand and her face, Waverly says, “And with it, I bestow upon thee all the treasures of my mind, heart, and hands.”

She pushes the ring onto the long finger and holds it there for a moment, waiting for Nicole to protest.

“Nicole,” Robin says, breaking her attention and switching their hand positions, “With this ring, I thee wed...”

“With this ring,” Nicole starts, soft touch against the back of her hand, “I thee wed.”

“And with it, I bestow upon thee all the treasures of my mind, heart, and hands,” Robin says again.

She watches as Nicole gently pushes the wedding band up her finger, eyes fixated, and says, “And with it, I bestow upon thee all the treasures of my mind, heart, and hands.”

Slowly, she shifts her gaze to her dad and mom. They’re both smiling those warm smiles, holding each other’s hands like they still love each other. They’ve been together for 24 years and still love each other with their whole hearts. She only hopes she’s learned how to love like them, that Nicole will still feel secure and wanted and needed 24 years from now. With a sigh, she looks back at the woman, her wife, and feels herself so overwhelmed with joy that she can barely see through her smile, her cheeks swelled with all of the happiness she contains.

“By the power vested in me by the state of Michigan, and New York, I now pronounce you, married,” Robin announces.

The words ring in Waverly’s ears and she can barely hear anything else, think any other thought, as she surges forward towards her wife. She lifts her hands to cup that immaculate jaw, fingers dipping into heart pulling dimples, and presses her lips on warm, inviting lips. Nicole’s hands settle on her hips, sliding expertly around her waist and kissing her deeply with lips and teeth and tongue. It doesn’t matter whose watching now that their love bubble has surrounded them. Her heart hammers to the beat of Nicole’s heart, she can feel it through her fingertips against the pulse point in her neck, and the world stops spinning.

The kiss is soft and slow and filled with intangible desire that sticks to Waverly’s lips as they pull apart. She smiles widely, a plethora of nerve endings alight at the tips of her fingers as her hands slide down Nicole’s chest. A sigh slips out as she feels her wife engulf her hand but keep her other arm wrapped around her back to hold her close. Warm lips press against her forehead and a shiver skates down her spine, nothing but joy on her mind.

A soft, familiar hand slides into hers, fingers entwining easily as Nicole leads her back down the aisle from which they independently came. Her feet carry her, but she feels so blissed out that she doesn’t seem to even have control over her own limbs. People are clapping and cheering around her, but she hardly registers their presence. The 15 minutes standing in front of everyone truly feels like a blur, like no one else was actually standing there after all and it was just her and the love of her life.

For a brief moment, they find themselves alone in a room. The silence surrounding her reminds her of the conversation topic that needs to be discussed, but the redhead seems to easily pretend that what she had overheard had never actually happened. Before she can open her mouth, Robin joins them. They do the formalities of signing the marriage certificate and are promptly dragged away to take pictures with their wedding party. They take pictures with Robin first before he leaves them to go file the paperwork.

They do pose after pose and, although Nicole doesn’t stray too far away unless otherwise told, Waverly’s smiles easy slip from real to fake and back to real like she’s putting on an act. She feels terrible that they haven’t truly talked, that this thing that Nicole probably never wanted her to know is weighing so heavily on her. But Nicole had promised long ago that she would never keep things from her.

Pearson starts crying first so Chrissy and Dolls wander off. Then Alice starts insisting that someone takes her to the bathroom. Shortly after Wynonna takes her, Stella needs to also go so Willa isn’t far behind. Everything spirals out of control rather quickly.

Finally, they are alone.

💘

Rosita’s been with her fair share of men. And, if she’s being honest, women too. Not that she’s ever particularly been ashamed of who she is. Unless you’re talking to her mother. That conversation is still a work in progress. A Purgatory fling certainly hadn’t been on her mind while the wedding was being planned. It isn’t necessarily on her mind now either. But, there’s something about Nicole’s sister that is very intriguing.

She feels quite a connection with the woman. One unlike she’s ever felt before. Which is saying something considering she dated one of the brides for a brief time. Even though that didn’t last long, the connection had been strong enough that the woman, to remain anonymous, is now one of her best friends.

It isn’t like she hasn’t spent years listening to Nicole talk about Devon. But meeting the fierce and powerful woman had changed her deep inside of her soul. Which isn’t even really something that she believes in, but there’s been an impact. She feels like she’s learned so much over the course of a few days and can only hope that her remaining 2 days in this tiny town can be spent learning just a bit more.

The pace of the town is quite different than the big city. Not that she’s seen much of it beyond the formal clothing place and the coffee shop. It’s cute though, warm and welcoming.

Mostly everyone has a drink in the main hall when she enters. She feels a little behind in the party area, but she had to take a phone call from a coworker. She hadn’t imagined that a big city forensic science group would need her but she has learned a lesson. She is more valued than she initially thought.

Feeling on top of the world, she spots a pretty girl from across the room. It drives her to march over with confidence and grace. Not that she’s ever really lacked in confidence. She’s been told many a time that she’s beautiful, but it’s rare that someone likes her brain.

“Hey,” She says softly, laying a hand on Devon’s forearm, “Can I borrow you?”

“Yeah,” Devon says, enthusiastic as she turns quickly. Instead of saying anything right here, in front of everyone as they await the newlyweds’ arrival, she grasps Devon’s hand and tugs. The other woman follows willingly until they’re alone in the hallway. “Is everything ok?”

“There’s just something that I want to do,” Rosita replies.

She summons all of her courage and lifts her hands to cup Devon’s jaw. The other woman melts slowly, hands lifting to circle Rosita’s wrists as of on autopilot. Before she backs out, she presses a kiss to the other woman’s mouth and appreciates the softness or her lips.

It feels like a connection taking root.

💘

The room is quiet, lights are low, and her wife looks undeniably beautiful.

It is not out of the ordinary that she finds the brunette to be any affinity to epically gorgeous, but something about the way she seems to glow just stirs something inside of Nicole. The white dress and the pink flower crown and the pretty smile that always gives Nicole butterflies definitely make her feel like this time is not like the last. The last time she found herself alone with her new wife, she was filled with regret and uncertainty.

“How do you feel?” Nicole asks, leaning on the armrest of the very expensive looking couch. It resembles the one from ikea that she liked the last time they went furniture shopping. They didn’t need a new couch though, so they still have Waverly’s old one after getting rid of the thing she shared with Shae.

“It doesn’t feel real,” Waverly says quietly. Nicole smiles easily, heart a kind rumble in her chest as she watches the brunette’s every move. If it were anyone but Waverly, she would feel like she looks silly, like an idiot smiling ear to ear. But it isn’t anyone else. It’s the person she feels most comfortable with in the world. The only person that she can imagine doing life with. “Did you really try to run away from our wedding?”

Sighing, Nicole drops her gaze to the floor. Waverly deserves an explanation, but she doesn’t really know how to get the thoughts in her head figured out. Even after fixating on them all night she doesn’t have much more decided then she’s afraid that she’ll be a terrible wife.

“I’m just scared that history will repeat itself,” Nicole admits.

“No, Silly,” Waverly hums as she crosses the room, cupping her face easily to let their eyes connect, “We are not the same.”

“I was a terrible wife before,” Nicole says, “And I just...I walked around this town all night and I wondered what it would be like to live here now. Maybe I could be better.”

“You are better,” Waverly counters. Nicole huffs in defeat, knowing that she’s going to lose this argument. Not that her heart is in the point she’s trying to make anyway. The brunette’s fingers float to her neck, a gentle caress pouring out of her careful hands. “I believe in you. I love you so much, ok? We don’t have to move back here because I already love everything that you are.”

“We’ll have to one day,” Nicole says tentatively.

“If we want to,” Waverly says, softly leaning her forehead against Nicole’s, “We will decide together.”

Her legs widen a bit as her hands find Waverly’s waist, drawing her forward. With the space available now, her wife’s body slumps easily against hers and she finds herself becoming fully emerged in the realization of them being actually married. The anxiety creeps forward a little bit, even though Waverly is quite good at quelling it. The other woman presses a light kiss to her lips, fleeting and soft, but enough to remind her of all of the love that has bloomed inside of her. It’s not just a flower, it’s an entire garden that just keeps growing and growing with the brightest flowers.

“I’m sorry,” Nicole murmurs quietly, “I didn’t mean to scare you. I love you.”

“I love you,” Waverly replies without hesitation, fingers skating across her bare skin along her chest where the dress dips fairly low, “And you are so fucking beautiful. This dress is something else. It looks good on you.”

“Oh yeah?” Nicole asks, heat rising in her stomach at the brunette’s flirtatious lilt.

“Yeah,” Waverly says, pressing a chaste kiss to her jaw, “But it’ll look even better on the floor.”

Nicole laughs as she pushes her hands around to Waverly’s back, encouraging her to love on her just a little bit more. It feels like it’s been weeks since they’ve been together. Especially considering they were apart the night before, which also felt like the night that would never end. She receives another kiss against her jaw, this time a little closer to her throat, as Waverly hums in agreement.

“You’re ridiculous, baby,” Nicole finally says. She lifts a hand into Waverly’s brown hair and delves her fingers into it, the soft strands making her smile as she tilts her chin down to look at her wife’s face. The brunette looks coy and cute and obviously in love. Just the way Nicole likes her. She leans forward to kiss her new bride but finds Waverly moving before their lips can meet. “Babe, what the hell? You were just so eager to kiss me.”

She hears herself whining but she refuses to be embarrassed on her own wedding day.

“I just know how much you love kissing,” Waverly says, hands dropping to Nicole’s thighs and pushing against them, “But we only have fifteen minutes so we don’t have time for that right now.”

She watches as Waverly wiggles her eyebrows suggestively, the grip on her legs tightening. Tilting her head for a moment, she weighs her options before giving a slight smile. Nicole says, “Yeah, ok.”

Smirking, the brunette’s hands loosen so she can move them. As deft fingers slip beneath the hem of her dress, Waverly presses a kiss against her chest at the top of her cleavage. Her own hand slides across Waverly’s back and runs along her shoulder until both of her hands are in brunette hair. While her hands move, Waverly drops to her knees in front of her and it prompts her to swallow before sucking in a deep breath.

It’s always been a sight to see, but her new wife in a wedding dress with her pink flower crown just gives Nicole a different kind of feeling. One that resonates deep in her chest and takes all of her fears away. For a moment, she doesn’t know why she ever doubted herself. For Waverly, she could do anything. Including be a good wife.

“You’re so sexy,” Nicole hums.

Waverly looks up at her with those lust-filled, mischievous eyes that always makes Nicole a mess in more ways than one. The response makes her mouth drop in awe, wondering how in the hell she got lucky enough to call this woman her wife. She’s beautiful, brilliant and challenges Nicole in all of the best ways. But what she loves the most about her is how supportive she is of everything that she does, or even thinks about doing.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Nicole says aloud.

“Stop talking,” Waverly murmurs, staring at her with a narrowed gaze.

Nicole scoffs at that, her own eyes tightening back; she says, “Why don’t you make me?”

"You're so cocky," Waverly replies.

She slips her hands beneath the hem of Nicole's dress, palms soft against her bare thighs, and it makes her shiver at how gently the brunette touches her. Her wife grins and kisses her inner knee, movements excruciatingly slow. Sighing in response, Nicole braces herself on the back of the couch as she anticipates the buzz she’ll feel in her body.

“I thought we didn’t have a lot of time,” Nicole says, attempting to send a steady signal for Waverly to just hurry up.

“You’re so impatient too,” Waverly counters, fingers finally finding the material of her panties to grasp onto. She pulls slowly at the piece of clothing but Nicole has to use her arms to shift her weight, allowing Waverly to pull the garment over her hips and down her legs. It’s cold without the extra layer, but Waverly’s warm hands wrap around her calves and trail up her legs with ease. “God, you’re so pretty.”

Sighing, Nicole can’t help feeling warmth spread through her stomach. Before she can form any other thoughts, Waverly is pushing her knees further apart and placing soft, tentative kisses against her thigh. The anticipation builds inside of her, teasing her as the time ticks away, and is easily replaced with her heart speeding up when Waverly’s warm tongue meets her center. She moans at the contact, Waverly’s zealous effort making her forget about all of her worries. She knows that it’s a temporary escape, that they still need to talk about everything she’s feeling, but her heart is overflowing with love for her wife so much that she almost thinks they can easily put it behind them.

Waverly licks and sucks and bites with vigor, hands skating around to her ass and pulling. Nicole tucks her bottom lip between her teeth and bites down, trying to keep from moaning too loudly as her hips cant forward. The brunette sucks on her clit and swirls her tongue around it until she’s thrusting into the other woman’s mouth and she’s gasping for breath. The heat erupts in her stomach as Waverly helps her through it, lapping up every bit that she can. Nicole recovers quickly, hands grasping tightly to the couch as her breathing evens out.

“You’re amazing,” Nicole murmurs.

Waverly pulls her underwear back up as she stands, slipping between Nicole’s knees with ease. She places a long, hungry kiss to Nicole’s lips, one that she readily accepts with and deepens. She tastes herself on Waverly’s tongue and it’s just as exciting as the first time. The brunette’s hands curl around her jaw, caressing her face softly when she pulls back. They stare at each other for a moment and Nicole can’t help but smile.

“I love you,” Waverly tells her softly.

“I love you, too, baby,” Nicole replies as she pulls her wife closer, “Thank you for marrying me.”

“I cannot wait to properly fuck you tonight,” Waverly says, voice low and enticing.

“What was that we just did?” Nicole asks, patting her on the ass as she wiggles her eyebrows.

“A preview?” Waverly says with an innocent shrug.

Laughing, Nicole kisses her again but there’s a knock on the door before it can deepen. They will probably spend the rest of the day mostly apart, meandering with guests and stealing kisses when they can. That will hopefully tie them both over for a few hours before they are finally alone to celebrate.

💘

Wynonna fucking Earp does not eat crow. That’s just not something that she does. There isn’t a chance in hell that she will give Nicole freaking Haught an apology but, if anything, she silently vows to lighten up on being so harsh. After all, she knows her little sister well enough to know that her smile is the realest she will ever see and she is genuinely happy.

So, she sucks it up and saddles up to Nicole’s side while holding a champagne flute. It’s delicious. The parents didn’t skimp on the good stuff, that’s for sure. She takes a sip as she follows Nicole’s line of vision, eyes settling on Waverly from across the room. Her wide smile only widens when she looks over at them and, for a brief moment, Wynonna can’t tell if it’s directed at herself or at her new sister-in-law. She decides it’s probably the second option.

Before Waverly can even move, she’s approached by their Uncle Curtis. They hug and when he kisses Waverly on the cheek, Wynonna sees Nicole pull a face out of the corner of her eye. She snaps her gaze to the redhead, eyebrow arching high on her forehead.

“You didn’t,” Wynonna says, low in her throat.

“Well, he shouldn’t kiss my wife on the mouth,” Nicole says with a shrug.

Wynonna cringes at the visual but before she can say anything else, Alice is tugging on Nicole’s hand and pulling her away. She watches as the woman indulges her daughter in a sweet little dance. In the silence, she admits that maybe Nicole Haught isn’t so bad considering she’s never done anything untoward to Alice. It’s sort of nice to think.

She feels a gentle yet familiar hand against her spine and actually allows herself to feel happy at the sight of John Henry.

Soon enough, the room goes quiet so the newlyweds can have their first dance.

💘

Waverly knows happiness, stability, and the comfort of her wife sleeping soundly beside her.

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me [here](https://linktr.ee/Onlywordsnow).


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